Ewing Township Harassment Attorney

Harassment Charge in Ewing New Jersey

A harassment offense in Ewing New Jersey may not seem very serious but it has the potential to cause significant complication in your life. A conviction for harassment can lead to jail time or significant fines. This is why anybody facing a Ewing Township harassment charge should be proactive in retaining a skilled criminal attorney. The defense team at our firm, the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, includes several form prosecutors and other qualified lawyers who understand all the nuances of defending a harassment case. We also have decades of experience defending Ewing criminal charges. To learn how we can help you avoid the consequences of a conviction, call our firm at 609–683–8102.

Ewing NJ Harassment Offense

An offense for harassment arises out of N.J.S.A. 2C:33-4. Harassment can result from a wide range of behavior but generally must involve unwanted communication or behavior toward another person, including repeated unwanted communication or conduct that alarms or annoys. It can involve coarse language or any other language used to alarm the victim and may be committed explicitly or anonymously. A violation can also result from physical conduct, for example, striking, kicking, shoving, or other unwanted touching of the victim or threat to do so.

In most cases, harassment is charged as a petty disorderly persons offense that falls under the jurisdiction of the Ewing Municipal Court. The penalties for a conviction of this type of offense are a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail. There are certain circumstances under which harassment may also be charged as a fourth degree crime. This occurs when the offender is on probation, parole or serving a prison sentence when the offense is committed. Fourth degree harassment under 2C:33-4 violation can only be handled at the Mercer County Superior Court and results in penalties that include up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Threat of Harassment. One form of harassment is making threats of physical violence or other types of harm, such as property damage or theft, to a victim. These threats can be made verbally, through written communication, or through electronic communication like text messaging or social media. Harassment is not limited to electronic and verbal communication. Any type of threat, such as those delivered through third parties or inanimate objects, can be an act of harassment if it is unwanted and causes the victim annoyance or alarm.

Text Message and Telephone Call. In today’s world, text messaging is many individuals’ primary mode of communication. It can also be used to harass others by sending threats or messages with alarming, derogatory, or annoying language. Text messaging records are not erased by deleting messages from a mobile device, which can make it easy to prove or disprove a claim of text-based harassment. Like text messages, phone call records remain with the recipient and caller’s phone providers forever, making it impossible to cover up evidence of harassment via telephone call.

Unwanted Touching. Everybody has the right to state whether they consent to physical contact with another or not. Touching an individual without his or her consent may be considered an act of harassment. When the victim explicitly states that he or she does not want to be touched, any further touching is an act of harassment.

Annoyance. “Annoying” is not the same thing for everybody, but there are a few things that can generally be deemed to be universally annoying, such as repeated communication after the victim asks the offender to stop and contacting the victim at inappropriate times, like late at night or during the victim’s workday.

Ewing Harassment Defense Lawyer

Do not wait to contact the team of experienced criminal lawyers at The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall for the competent counsel that you need. An attorney on our staff will be more than happy to provide you with the benefit of their time in a free consultation. A defense lawyer is available immediately at 609–683–8102.