Jersey City Police Chase Ends in Crash
A stolen, yellow Corvette crashed into multiple motor vehicles this Sunday afternoon, causing property damage and injury to at least one driver. This resulted after police pursued the stolen vehicle through downtown Jersey City ending on West Side Avenue. The offender attempted to evade police custody on foot before ultimately being caught and arrested.
Today, our attorneys will discuss the criminal charges this offender may face, the penalties if convicted, and how an experienced criminal defense attorney might offer a strong defense.
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in the greater Passaic County region, call our office today for a free and confidential consultation with our criminal defense legal team.
Passaic County Criminal Defense Attorneys Discuss the Charges
Based on what we know of this incident, the offender may be facing charges including auto theft, reckless driving, resisting arrest, and potentially assault depending on the nature and circumstances of the injury sustained by the unnamed driver. We do not know enough to thoughtfully speculate about a potential assault charge, but here is what the offender can expect to face if found guilty of the other potential charges.
Evading police in a high speed chase leads our Passaic County criminal attorneys to believe that the offender will be looking at second or third degree automobile theft charges. Convictions could lead to prison sentences of up to 10 years, fines of $200,000, and a presumption of incarceration under the New Jersey No Early Release Act.
Reckless driving convictions carry penalties between 60 days to three (3) months in county jail and fines between $50 and $500. This is largely dependent on whether the perpetrator is a first time or repeat offender. Five points will also be assigned to the offender’s driver’s license.
Because the lives of law enforcement officers were put in risk due to the vehicular pursuit, this case may lead to third degree resisting arrest charges. Third degree convictions carry penalties of three (3) to five (5) years in state prison and fines ranging to $15,000.
Paterson Violent Crimes Lawyers Build a Defense
Our Paterson criminal defense attorneys understand that many of our clients feel the evidence being held against them is simply too strong to fight. With the extremely limited details of the case in question, this may seem like the case. After all, taking police on a high speed chase in a stolen car, ending that chase with an injured individual and fleeing on foot all sounds pretty damning. However, each case is unique and we will aggressively pursue any angle which might be used to have our clients’ charges reduced or even dismissed.
The details surrounding this allegedly stolen vehicle are unknown. Perhaps the offender knew the owner and was under the impression he or she was able to use it? Similarly, we do not know much about the individual who was allegedly injured by this accident. The victim could have injured due to circumstances outside of the offender’s actions or as the result of improper law enforcement behavior.
Our attorneys will also examine the details surrounding the traffic stop (assuming one took place). Law enforcement must adhere to standard protocol in order for the evidence to be admissible. For example, let us say that law enforcement officers failed to identify themselves. This led the driver of the corvette to become confused, and was merely fleeing a vehicle which was a potential danger. This may seem unlikely, but the burden of proper behavior and adherence to protocol is on law enforcement, not the civilians.
Contact our Woodland Park Criminal Defense Attorneys Today
The criminal defense attorneys of The Montanari Law Group believe that all our clients are innocent until proven guilty. We take pride in building strong criminal defenses for our clients by all available avenues, building on our previous successes defending clients in our local New Jersey communities including Woodland Park, Clifton, Paterson, Wayne, West Milford, Little Falls, and all of Passaic County. If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges, you do not need to fight this legal battle alone.
Contact us online or through our Little Falls offices by calling (973) 233-4396 today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your violent crime charges, drug charges, sex crime charges, juvenile charges, weapons offenses, or any other criminal charge.
