Most criminal defense lawyers will want to know your prior criminal history and what you expect from the case. They will review the facts of your case and spot the legal issues and defenses that may be available. They will lay out the legal process in court and what to expect over the next few weeks/months. Most criminal defense lawyers will assess your likelihood of success and variables such as the experience of the police officers involved, the judge and the prosecutors.

If you have the police report, bring it. Bring any court papers the case you are facing, as well as, any prior cases. Bring anything that you think is important to your case!

Most lawyers will require a “retainer”, or down-payment, to begin a criminal case. Often, that retainer will be substantial portion of the fee up front.

The traditional definition of a felony is a crime that is punishable by a year or more in jail. A misdemeanor is a crime that is punishable by imprisonment of less than one year. Felonies are more serious crimes than misdemeanors. In New Jersey there are different degrees of Felonies:

First degree criminal offenses:
If found guilty of a 1st-degree offense such as murder, aggravated sexual assault, or drug distribution (large quantities) you will be sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.

Second degree criminal offenses:
If convicted of robbery without a weapon, certain sexual assaults, aggravated assault, distribution of smaller quantities of drugs, or another 2nd-degree crime you will be sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison.

Third degree criminal offenses:
If found guilty of possession of cocaine, ecstasy, or heroin, possession of a handgun, certain thefts, aggravated assault, or another third-degree crime you may be sentenced to serve up to 5 years in prison.

Fourth degree criminal offenses:
Unauthorized use of a vehicle, some charges involving assault and threat crimes or possession of marijuana, criminal sexual contact, or another 4th-degree crime you may be sentenced to serve up to 18 months in prison.

Municipal/Disorderly Persons Offenses:
In New Jersey lesser offenses are heard by the Municipal Court in the township, city, or municipality where the offense allegedly took place. If convicted of possession of marijuana, shoplifting, simple assault, harassment, or disorderly conduct you may be sentenced to up to 6 months in jail.

The grand jury decides whether there is sufficient evidence to indict a suspect and continue the criminal proceedings against him or her. The indictment is the formal process of charging a person with a crime. The grand jury reviews the evidence and may hear testimony in deciding whether to indict someone, but the grand jury makes no decision about guilt or innocence. All states use the grand jury system to some extent, though there may be differences in procedures and number of jurors.

The prosecutor is the attorney who represents the federal, state or local government in a case against a criminal defendant. The title of the prosecutor varies by jurisdiction, but some common titles include district attorney, county attorney, city attorney, United States attorney and state attorney. The prosecutor has the public duty to punish those committing crimes, balanced with the duty to fairly try such individuals.

Probation is a type of criminal sentence that allows a person to stay in the community rather than serve time in prison, as long as he or she complies with certain conditions, such as regularly reporting to a probation officer, refraining from alcohol and drugs and not committing further crimes. Parole is the supervised release of a prisoner from incarceration into the community before the end of his or her sentence. Conditions of parole are similar to those of probation.

Depending on the applicable federal or state laws, part of a criminal sentence may include the payment of restitution to the victim or victims for their related losses. Restitution may include compensation for property damage or loss, medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost income or funeral expenses. Part of the philosophy behind criminal restitution is to give the criminal offender a direct part in making things whole with his or her victim.

White collar crime refers generally to nonviolent financial crimes involving fraud or other dishonesty committed in business or commercial contexts. Examples include insider trading, embezzlement and tax evasion. White collar crime is sometimes described as “paper crime” or crime that is committed in white collar workplaces as opposed to jobs in blue collar industries.