As a parent, you do your best to prepare your child for the world—everything from teaching manners to advising on career choices rests on your shoulders. Unfortunately, even the best preparation doesn’t guarantee they’ll think, say, and do what’s best for them when you’re not around.
After all, it’s no secret that the human brain isn’t fully matured and developed until approximately age 25.
So when you find yourself in need of a juvenile false public alarm and terroristic threats crimes defense lawyer, don’t waste your energy on thoughts of ‘would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.’
Instead, focus on the potential consequences your child faces and your avenues for mitigating them. Though every case is different, the sooner you spring into action, the more time we have to build a powerful defense.
Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-3), false public alarm is a crime—even when committed by a juvenile. This can take several forms, such as:
And no matter how well you teach your child about the seriousness of abusing or jeopardizing public services, they may still find themselves facing these charges. Kids these days have a cell phone from a young age—and without one, they’re likely to be ostracized by their peers.
So, sooner or later, some of them are bound to get curious and “see what happens” when they call 911 without grasping the gravity of what they’re doing.
Frankly, it’s easier than you might think for your child to face terroristic threats charges too. These offenses have become quite a bit more common in New Jersey over the past few years. Things that start off as a simple prank—or even as an off-hand comment about ‘shooting up the school’—can quickly lead to criminal charges.
In the latter example specifically, a juvenile may face multiple charges. That’s when it’s especially crucial to hire an experienced, knowledgeable juvenile false public alarm and terroristic threats crimes defense lawyer in New Jersey.
Whether your child is charged as a juvenile or an adult, they face potential consequences that could negatively impact their future opportunities for years to come.
Before you ask, the answer is yes, your child can be charged as an adult in New Jersey even if they’re under the age of 18. If the juvenile is age 15 or older, they may be “waived up,” meaning a waiver is filed to bump them up to being tried as an adult.
In this situation, the juvenile faces the same potential consequences as an adult charged with the same offenses. This can be a harbinger of bad things to come—New Jersey juvenile court is focused on rehabilitation without permanent consequence, while the legal system for adults is designed to issue punishments severe enough to discourage future transgressions.
As an example, an adult charged with second-degree false public alarm faces up to 10 years in prison… while being tried as a juvenile for the same offense is highly unlikely to result in these penalties.
Data shows that juvenile crimes such as these are surging for the first time in years. And it’s no secret that school shootings are on the rise now more than ever. Unfortunately, children are susceptible to these influences—schools tend to receive a higher level of threats after a widely publicized school shooting.
In most cases, the threat isn’t issued seriously or with any regard to consequences. Some students even call in these things in the hopes of dodging a quiz or getting a day off from classes. Other times, the juvenile means no bodily harm; they just want to scare classmates who are bullying or harassing them.
And on top of all this, social media tends to make things even more widespread. Copycat threats spread far wider now with technology and the internet.
Kids tend to say things online they’d never say or do in person, but it makes no difference to the police. They can still show up at your door even if your child made no face-to-face, in-person threats.
A deferred disposition in NJ is when the juvenile is assigned to a probation officer and given specific conditions, rather than being sentenced to incarceration or probation for a set period of time. In this scenario, the probation officer’s job is helping the juvenile complete these conditions successfully.
Touching base with the probation officer can happen by phone, at their office, in the juvenile’s home, or a combination thereof. At the end of the assigned term, the office reports to the court on the juvenile’s progress.
If everything goes according to the conditions without a new offense, the complaint will be dismissed without the need for future court appearances. But failing to complete these conditions can result in returning to court, which can lead to far more serious consequences.
Under NJ law, the juvenile’s intent regarding false public alarm and terroristic threats crimes can have a huge impact on their defense strategy...
Yes, depending on the specific details, there may be specific legal defenses unique to New Jersey law that can be employed in these cases...
An experienced, dedicated juvenile defense attorney will navigate the complex juvenile justice system in New Jersey to achieve the best possible outcome for the accused by becoming familiar with the details of your case, and then pursuing every possible avenue for dismissal or charge reduction...
If you and your child are in need of a juvenile false public alarm and terroristic threats crimes defense lawyer, don’t hesitate—call Fabriele Law at (732) 487-3388 right away. We’re open 24