An off-duty Chesilhurst police officer was arrested recently after police claim they found an ounce of marijuana and a gun in the vehicle he was driving, which contained three young children as passengers, according to a recent article at NJ.com.
The officer, a 33-year-old Maple Shade resident, was stopped by Lindenwold police while traveling with his three children, according to the Camden County prosecutor’s office. The officer was charged with drug possession and distribution, endangering the welfare of a child, official misconduct, and a weapons charge, according to a press release from the prosecutor’s office.
The charges filed in this instance provide a clear example of how one seemingly simple incident can result in multiple charges, all of which can affect one another in complex ways.
Drug charges, weapons charges, child endangerment charges, and claims of official misconduct each have their own specific set of elements that the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt. In order to establish reasonable doubt, then, the person charged or their attorney must address each charge in a slightly different way – even though all the charges stem from a single incident.
Even a single criminal charge can be complex to fight. The rules governing the procedure of criminal cases are complex, and it can be easy to make a mistake. A knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer understands where the most common errors are made and plans ahead to prevent them, while at the same time working to build the strongest possible arguments on behalf of his or her client.
Police officers are employed to enforce the law, and like any citizen, they have a responsibility to follow the law whether or not they are on duty. Also, like any citizen, a police officer has the right to be represented by a criminal defense attorney.
New Jersey criminal defense attorney James M. Porfido fights to protect the rights of every client he represents. To learn more, contact our office today at (973) 370-9788 for a confidential consultation.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.