Memorial Day is upon us, signalling the start of Summer, a time to relax and party at the Jersey Shore. Day trippers and overnight guests, from New Jersey and elsewhere, converge on the Monmouth County, Ocean County, and Atlantic County beaches and bars in the Jersey Shore communities of Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Neptune, Avon, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, Long Branch, West Long Branch, Oceanport, Sea Girt, Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Sea Bright, Brielle, Mantoloking, Manasquan, Red Bank, Long Beach Island, Island Beach State Park, Sandy Hook, Atlantic City, and Ventnor to meet, greet, and often, drink alcohol or use marijuana or other drugs. Given that many of these young people are high school or college students, or just beginning their careers, an arrest and conviction for a criminal offense can have terrible consequences for their future.

Arrests at the Jersey Shore for small amounts of marijuana or other drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, underage possession of alcohol, use of fake ID, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol are common, as are arrests for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, public intoxication, public urination, assault, harassment, obstruction, and hindering police activity. These cases are typically prosecuted in the local Municipal Courts. More serious cases are sent to the Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold, New Jersey, the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, New Jersey, or the Atlantic County Superior Court in Atlantic City for consideration for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment. Often cases initially sent to Superior Court are then remanded to the local Municipal Courts on reduced charges.

It is also common for individuals driving to and from the Jersey Shore to be charged with various traffic offenses, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, possession of drugs in a motor vehicle, speeding, careless driving, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. These types of cases are also prosecuted in the local Municipal Courts. Conviction of these charges can impact your ability to drive, and may entail large fines. Our Jersey Shore criminal defense attorneys have extensive experience in the Municipal Courts of Monmouth and Ocean County.

It is important to remember that every drug possession and drug paraphernalia case carries a potential for suspension of your New Jersey driving privileges as well as a potential jail sentence. Suspension of these privileges may be transferred to your home state if you are not a resident of New Jersey. Other Municipal Court disorderly persons and traffic offenses carry potential jail terms. Having an experienced criminal defense attorney can prevent you from getting a criminal record, protect your college and employment prospects, and keep you from losing your driving privileges.

For a limited number of out-of-state clients, who live at a great distance from the Jersey Shore, it may be possible for us to resolve your matter without the need for you to appear in court.

Our firm has handled Municipal Court criminal cases throughout the Jersey Shore, in the Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold, the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, and the Atlantic County Superior Court in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for over twenty years. We have a proven track record of excellent results for our clients. Please contact us in any one of our convenient locations, including our Monmouth County office, located in Eatontown (at the Jersey Shore), our Essex County office, located in Livingston, our Union County office, located in Linden, or our Middlesex County office, located in East Brunswick, to discuss your case.