West Windsor Juvenile Secures Dismissal of Burglary Charges

An extremely favorable outcome was recently obtained at the Mercer County Juvenile Court by our founding attorney, Jonathan F. Marshall. Our West Windsor juvenile client had been charged with fifteen (15) counts of burglary and theft stemming from break-ins that occurred over several months in Plainsboro New Jersey. Since the juvenile resided in West Windsor New Jersey in Mercer County, his case was heard at the county courthouse in Trenton.

The allegations in the case were that our client, along with one other individual, committed a series of burglaries at a garden center after hours. The claim was that several thousands of dollars were stolen from the cash register as a result of the burglaries. The boys were apprehended with the assistance of surveillance cameras. The end result was at least seven (7) separate incidents of burglary and theft of movable property being pursued by the police.

N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2 defines the offense of burglary as unauthorized entry into a secured structure for the purpose of committing a criminal offense such as theft. Burglary is typically a third degree crime that can result in up to 2 years of juvenile detention. When the burglary is committed by someone who is armed or by an individual who threatens or inflicts bodily injury on another, the offense escalates to a second degree crime. Second degree burglary results in up to 3 years of detention.

While there really was no disputing that our client was involved in the unauthorized entry into the garden facility, he was not the protagonist for the thefts nor did he receive any of the money. His c0-conspirator was an employee of the facility, had stolen the key, and received the vast majority of the cash that was stolen. Our position was that our juvenile clients was a secondary player and that he should receive the benefit of diverting the case out of the Juvenile Division.

After several appearances before the Juvenile Court, Mr. Marshall was able to secure a diversion of the charges and a dismissal of the burglary and theft charges. Provided the client sent an apology letter and performed some community service, the charges were essentially going to be dismissed with no record whatsoever.

If your child has been charged with burglary or another theft related criminal offense, you are probably very stressed. These feelings are normal. Keep you wits about you and do your research wisely. Make sure your consideration is limited to juvenile lawyers who actually possess the experience they imply. If you do not see a date that an attorney was licensed then its probably because that fact is unfavorable. And when you decide to pick up the telephone to discuss the case in a consultation, make certain that you ask the lawyer whether he has actually tried a Superior Court case. You will be extremely surprised by the response you receive if the person on the other end of the telephone is truthful.

There is no risk taking when someone hires the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall to handle a juvenile or other criminal case. Our staff of accomplished lawyers includes several former county prosecutors and public defenders that have tried many Superior Court cases. Our team is also highly accustomed to appearing at the Juvenile Part of the Family Division in Trenton, the place where your son or daughter’s charges will be heard. To obtain a free consultation from a juvenile defense lawyer at the firm, contact our Princeton Office at 609–683–8102. An attorney is available to answer your call any time of day or night.