Lawrence Township Juvenile Case Involving Second Degree Arson Favorably Resolved
There was a fire at Lawrence Township High School at the end of the 2016-17 school year that resulted in juvenile criminal charges being filed against two Lawrenceville juveniles. The case arose as a result of the juveniles allegedly starting a fire in the bathroom of the school and failing to extinguish it. The family of one of the juveniles retained the managing partner of our firm, Jonathan F. Marshall, to defend the offense.
The Lawrence School Board and Police Department took the incident extremely serious. In fact, the incident resulted in the juvenile being placed on electronic monitoring immediately following arrest although we were able to have him released from custody under the Home Alternative Release Program (“HARP”). The Mercer County Superior Court, Juvenile Division, continued the electronic monitoring throughout the juvenile proceedings in this case.
The offense of arson is set forth at N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1. It should be noted that second degree arson carries the possibility of up to 3 years of juvenile detention.
We are happy to report that after months of litigating, the case was favorably resolved on behalf of the juvenile. The end result was our securing a deferred disposition of the matter. What this means is that, provided the minor stays out of trouble for a period of 12 months, the original juvenile offense will be dismissed. The juvenile was also required to perform 10 hours of community service as a condition of securing this resolution.
Arson or related juvenile assault charges can cause significant problems in Lawrence New Jersey or anywhere else in Mercer County. Thankfully, Mr. Marshall was able to obtain the best possible outcome short of an outright dismissal, namely, a deferred disposition. The juvenile and her family were extremely pleased with the resolution.
If your child was arrested or is under investigation for a juvenile crime in Lawrence Township or another municipality in Mercer County, we encourage you to contact our Lawrenceville Office or another one of our locations for a free consultation.
We also suggest for those who are continuing to research criminal lawyers to defend your child, be critical of what you read. Words on the internet can create the impression that an attorney is highly experienced when, in actuality, they are not. Make sure anyone you are considering has been practicing as long as they imply rather than a limited period. You should also verify that the lawyer has actually tried a case at the Superior Court since that is what will be required if the charge cannot be favorably resolved. This is your money and child’s future that is at stake. You deserve nothing short of a highly accomplished defense lawyer.
Our team of seasoned Mercer County Juvenile Lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience defending offenses at the Family Division, Juvenile Part, in Trenton. Several members of our team are former county prosecutors and public defenders with decades in practice trying and litigating juvenile charges. A lawyer with the tools to thoroughly protect your child is available 24/7 to assist you at (609) 775-9009.