Threat crimes cover a wide range of offenses in New Jersey and are prosecuted harshly, particularly in Hunterdon and Somerset County. These charges can carry serious ramifications including state prison time. It is important to hire Jenna Casper Bloom who has handled a variety of these charges and obtained dismissals for her clients.
What are the different types Threat Crimes in the state of New Jersey?
- Terroristic Threats
- Harassment
- Disorderly Conduct
Depending on the crime you are charged with, your case will be handled in either municipal court or Superior Court. Both of these carry a variety of penalties if you are convicted of the crime you are charged with. Additionally, these cases can be very long and ongoing as the State’s only witness is usually one person. This person may choose to come to court or not and may choose to meet with the State or not. If the victim is reluctant to testify or come forward, this can greatly delay your case reaching a resolution. You need to hire an experienced attorney like Jenna Casper Bloom who has handled these types of cases and knows what type of motions to put forward as well as attempt to get your case dismissed.
What are the penalties for threat crimes?
Second Degree Offenses
- Up to 10 years state prison
- Fine up to $150,000.00
Third Degree Offenses
- Up to 5 years state prison
- Fine up to $15,000.00
Fourth Degree Offenses
- Up to 18 months state prison
- Fine of $10,0000
Disorderly Person Offenses
- Up to 6 months incarceration
- Fine of up to $1,000
Petty Disorderly Person Offenses
- Up to 30 days incarceration
- Fine of up to $500
What Constitutes Terroristic Threats in New Jersey?
- Threatens to commit any crime of violence with the purpose to terrorize another or to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transportation, or otherwise to cause serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience.
- Threatens to kill another with the purpose to put him in imminent fear of death under circumstances reasonably causing the victim to believe the immediacy of the threat and the likelihood that it will be carried out.
- Terroristic Threats is a crime of the second or third degree.
Read more about terroristic threats in New Jersey.
What constitutes Harassment in New Jersey?
- Makes, or causes to be made, a communication or communications anonymously or at extremely inconvenient hours, or in offensively coarse language, or any other manner likely to cause annoyance or alarm;
- Subjects another to striking, kicking, shoving, or other offensive touching, or threatens to do so; or
- Engages in any other course of alarming conduct or of repeatedly committed acts with purpose to alarm or seriously annoy such other person.
- Harassment is either a Petty Disorderly Person offense or a fourth degree offense.
Read more about harassment charges.
What constitutes Disorderly Conduct in New Jersey?
- Purposely causes to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof he
- Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior; or
- Creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor.
- In a public place, and with purpose to offend the sensibilities of a hearer or in reckless disregard of the probability of so doing, he addresses unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive language, given the circumstances of the person present and the setting of the utterance, to any person present.
- Disorderly Conduct is a petty disorderly persons offense.
Read more about disorderly conduct.
All of these threat crimes involve a reasonable person standard. Even if your intent was not to threaten an individual, if the individual felt that way, you can be charged with one of these threat crimes. Additionally, these charges often come down to a he said/she said situation where the prosecutor, judge, and jury has to take into account the credibility of the alleged victim and the defendant. They have to determine who is more credible and in turn, who is more likely to be telling the truth. Jenna Casper Bloom has handled these types of offense often and knows the delicate balance of showing the victim as unreliable without addressing them in a way that garnishes sympathy.
Some times these type of charges are part of a larger issue, like domestic violence. If there is an actual domestic violence situation going on, there are many resources in New Jersey that can help you.
Jenna Casper Bloom has over fourteen years experience handling all criminal matters including thefts, drug offenses, weapons offenses, sexual assault, aggravated assault, domestic violence, Megan’s Law offenses, Graves Act, DWI/DUI, traffic tickets, Pre-trial intervention, gun cases, marijuana charges, and expungements. She has handled cases from all stages and hearings including motions to suppress, Miranda hearings and has extensive trial experience. She provides an aggressive defense for any crime that one is charged with which results in her clients receiving favorable outcomes. Additionally, many times Jenna Casper Bloom gets cases dismissed for her client or plead guilty to a lesser offense. She has also argued probation and parole violation hearings which resulted in her clients being able to stay on probation or parole and not return to prison. She especially has experience with detention hearings, allowing her clients to be released pending their trial instead of languishing in jail. If you can be charged with the crime, Jenna Casper Bloom has experience in defending it. She practices in Mercer County, Hunterdon County, Warren County, and Somerset County as well as in the towns of Trenton, Flemington, Clinton, Raritan, Annandale, Union, Pennington, East Amwell, West Amwell, Lawrenceville, Ewing, and Princeton.
Jenna Casper Bloom will treat you as the person you are, not the crime you have been charged with. Contact her today for a free consultation.
