Middlesex County Criminal Lawyer

Helping Defendants Get Acquittals, Reduced Sentences, and Alternative Sentences Since 1955

Being charged with a crime is a traumatic experience. Your freedom and reputation are at stake. If convicted, you face the possibility of imprisonment and substantial fines. The case against you will move quickly, so it is important to have legal counsel on your side from the initial bail hearing and preliminary hearing through the negotiation stage and the jury trial.

Firmly guiding the accused through frightening and uncertain times

At Aiello, Harris, Marth, Tunnero & Schiffman, P.C. our Middlesex County criminal lawyers has been helping those charged with crimes get justice for six decades. In many cases, we have gotten acquittals for our clients, or have gotten the charges dismissed before the case went to trial, avoiding the need to present the case to an unpredictable jury for decision. Our criminal lawyers have received the respect and admiration or our peers, and many of our lawyers have been rated as experienced and trusted attorneys in the state.

Strong advocacy for Middlesex County residents accused of municipal crimes.

Our Middlesex criminal defense attorneys are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have offices across the state. If you are arrested, we are ready to help you right away. Many of our lawyers are former prosecutors, so we understand the criminal justice system inside and out. We handle the full range of indictable and municipal offenses.

Municipal charges include:

  • Motor vehicle violations, such as speeding, improper passing, and not stopping at a stop sign.
  • Less serious criminal offenses, such as first time drunk driving offenses, shoplifting, simple assault, and writing bad checks.
  • Violations of municipal ordinances, including building code violations.
  • Fish and gaming violations.
  • Juvenile offenses.

These offenses, especially traffic offenses and minor crimes, can cause a lot of damage. If convicted, violators can face county jail time and expensive fines. Traffic offenders may lose their license and will likely have to pay expensive insurance premium increases. They may have to pay surcharges, and will have a negative report on their driver’s license. Anyone convicted of drunk driving is looking at the possibility of jail time, the certainty of huge penalties and fines, and many indirect but costly expenses, such as higher insurance rates.

We also represent defendants who have been accused of more serious crimes, such as robbery, theft, and assault. These cases, when they happen in Perth Amboy, East Brunswick, Piscataway, or any other Middlesex location, are transferred to the Superior Court for Middlesex County.

Some common defense strategies in municipal court cases

There are many different types of defenses depending on the charge, the current law, how the police performed their duties, and the facts of the case.

Some common defenses are:

  • Asserting that your Constitutional rights were violated. Police need proper authority to seize evidence and to question witnesses.
  • Questioning the validity of the equipment used to conduct any tests or the officer’s handling of the test. Our Middlesex defense lawyers challenge every aspect of any device used to show violations of the law and contest the skills and certification of the person giving the test.

Breath tests, which are the most common way to analyze a drunk driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) can be challenged if the test machine, such as the Dräger Alcotest®, was not properly calibrated, was used improperly, or if the test results are interpreted incorrectly. Breath machines must be routinely calibrated. Because of their sophistication, officers must be certified before they can give a breath test.

Speed radar guns, which are frequently used as the basis for speeding tickets, must also be properly calibrated on a regular basis.

  • Showing that there was reasonable doubt. This can include any reasonable explanation for the offense, such as that you had used mouth alcohol prior to a breath test and the mouthwash gave a false result.

Additionally, we also argue that the charges should be reduced. For example, in speeding ticket cases, we often can negotiate an agreement with the police officer to reduce the points from four or five to two points.

Our Middlesex County practice areas

Our Middlesex County criminal defense attorneys handle the following types of offenses:

  • Speeding tickets and other traffic offenses – We handle these cases if the driver was charged with one or with multiple traffic violations on the roadway.
  • Possession of controlled substances – Drugs are classified as Schedule I, II, III, IV, and V drugs. Schedule I drugs are non-prescription drugs. The other schedules may be prescribed in some cases. The offense is charged if there is no prescription. Possession of Schedule V drugs is considered a 4th degree offense, while the other drug possession charges are more serious 3rd degree offenses.
  • Driving while intoxicated (DWI) – The police, if they have the right to stop a driver, will normally give the driver a field sobriety test. If the driver fails the sobriety test, the officer will examine the driver’s BAC through a breath or blood test. Our Middlesex municipal offense lawyers challenge the tests with the aim of having the test ruled inadmissible.
  • Burglary – Anyone who breaks into a building or structure with the intent to steal, damage property, or commit a crime, can be charged with burglary.

In some cases, we are able to have a defendant’s criminal record expunged.

Middlesex County Municipal Courts We Can Represent You In

  • Carteret Municipal Court
  • Cranbury Municipal Court
  • Dunellen Municipal Court
  • East Brunswick Municipal Court
  • Edison Municipal Court
  • Helmetta Municipal Court
  • Highland Park Municipal Court
  • Jamesburg Municipal Court
  • Metuchen Municipal Court
  • Middlesex Municipal Court
  • Milltown Municipal Court
  • Monroe Municipal Court
  • New Brunswick Municipal Court
  • North Brunswick Municipal Court
  • Old Bridge Municipal Court
  • Perth Amboy Municipal Court
  • Piscataway Municipal Court
  • Plainsboro Municipal Court
  • Sayreville Municipal Court
  • South Amboy Municipal Court
  • South Brunswick Municipal Court\
  • South Plainfield Municipal Court
  • South River Municipal Court
  • Spotswood Municipal Court
  • Woodbridge Municipal Court

Get help from a Middlesex County criminal attorney now

At Aiello, Harris, Marth, Tunnero & Schiffman, P.C., our Middlesex County defense lawyers prepare each case as if we were going to trial for you. In this way, we cover all the necessary legal arguments and research all the key facts. Being fully prepared enables us to best present your case to a jury, allows us to argue for evidence to be dismissed, and gives us the best opportunity for arranging a satisfactory plea bargain. For help now, please contact our Woodbridge criminal defense lawyers location or phone (908) 561-5577 or complete our contact form to make an appointment.