Atlantic City Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you have been arrested in Atlantic City, NJ, you need legal representation from a trusted and knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer like Joseph Lombardo.

Most states divide criminal offenses into misdemeanors and felonies. New Jersey uses slightly different language, calling misdemeanors “disorderly persons offenses” and felonies “indictable crimes.” While the wording may be different, the potential penalties are the same: debilitating fines, years or decades of incarceration, and a host of assorted consequences such as driver’s license suspension, mandatory community service, substance abuse counseling, and probation. In addition to facing these court-ordered penalties, you will also receive a criminal record, which can haunt your loan, housing, and job searches for years to come.

Regardless of your age, criminal history, or the type of offense you are being charged with, misdemeanor and felony allegations are extremely serious matters which can negatively impact every aspect of your life. If you have been arrested in Atlantic City, you need legal representation from a trusted and knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer like Joseph Lombardo. Joseph has over 20 years of experience handling a wide array of felony and misdemeanor charges on behalf of adults and juveniles alike throughout Atlantic City including the following:

• Assault
• Criminal Record Expungements
• Domestic Violence Charges
• Drug Possession and Narcotics Charges
• Vandalism and Property Crimes
• Weapons Possession

From the moment of arrest through the trial itself, Joseph will put his extensive dual experience as a municipal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney toward building a tactical defense strategy. When you need a dedicated defense attorney who will aggressively fight your charges, protect your legal rights, and guide you through every step of your case as it develops, you can call on Atlantic City criminal defense lawyer Joseph Lombardo. In case of an emergency, Joseph is on-call 24 hours a day to make jail or detention center visits. Call (609) 445-4300 for a free and private case evaluation.

The Types of Charges that We Defense Clients Against in Atlantic City

Assault and Battery

• Aggravated Assault
• Bar Fights
• Child Abuse
• Domestic Violence
• Simple Assault

Drug Crimes

• Drug Sales
• Possession with Intent to Distribute
• Prescription Drug Charges
• Simple Possession
• Transportation

Fraud

• Bank Fraud
• Embezzlement
• Forgery
• Identity Theft
• Insurance Fraud
• Mortgage Fraud

Juvenile Offenses

• Criminal Trespass
• Graffiti
• Shoplifting
• Underage Drinking
• Vandalism

Sex Crimes

• Indecent Exposure
• Lewdness
• Prostitution

Theft

• Burglary
• Grand Theft
• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Petty Theft
• Retail Theft
• Robbery
• Theft of Services

DWI and Traffic Violations

• Hit and Run
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident
• Moving Violations
• Traffic Citations

Weapons Crimes

• Brandishing and Discharging
• Concealed Weapons
• Gun Possession

Fines And Sentences: Criminal Penalties in Atlantic City, NJ

The fines, sentences, and other criminal penalties you face depend on the way your charges are categorized. Some crimes are always categorized a certain way, while others can become more or less severe depending on the presence of mitigating or aggravating factors.

While each charge must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, some typical mitigating factors include lack of intent to cause harm, acting in self-defense, acting negligently or carelessly, and being a first-time offender. By comparison, common aggravating factors include causing extremely serious injury, using a dangerous weapon, acting intentionally or recklessly, having a record of prior offenses, committing the offense in a designated school zone, and/or endangering a child during the commission of the alleged crime (such as having a child passenger in an alleged DUI).

Some states use alphabetic labels to distinguish criminal categories, such as “Class A,” “Class B,” and so forth. When you commit a crime in Atlantic City, numeric degrees are used. The lower the degree, the more serious the crime (and potential consequences). For example, a first degree crime is considered more serious than a third degree crime.

The New Jersey criminal courts may impose the following maximum penalties for your Atlantic City criminal offense, depending on the way the underlying offense is graded:

As you can see, New Jersey unfortunately imposes some of the highest felony fines in the country. While many states hold fines for similar offense classes to the tens of thousands at most, the maximum criminal fines for your criminal charges in Atlantic City can easily reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars — in addition to decades of incarceration in prison.

While the fines and incarceration are often the greatest cause for concern, they are far from the only penalties which may be imposed. Depending on the type of crime involved in the charges, you may be subject to offense-specific penalties as well. For example, many sex crime convictions require placement on the state’s Sex Offender Registry. Likewise, a DWI conviction can result in the temporary suspension of your driver’s license. Drug possession charges may lead to mandatory counseling for substance abuse, while crimes involving graffiti and vandalism often involve community service and volunteer work requirements.