What Are the Penalties for Second Degree Crimes in New Jersey

I never really got in any trouble in my life but over last two years I seemed to step into one mess after another. I wound up getting charged with a number of domestic violence charges and a shoplifting charge in municipal court. Prior to hiring Ryan Clark and his firm to represent me I was convinced I was going to wind up in jail and a convicted felon. I felt like all my schooling and work experience was going to be worthless when all was said and done. Once Ryan began handling my cases though he not only managed to keep me out of prison, he was able to get results that now leave me without a single conviction.

First I was indicted for 2nd Degree Aggravated Assault and had a restraining order. Ryan tried the restraining order where he cross examined the plaintiff and gave a very detailed legal argument as to why the final restraining order should not be granted. The judge agreed and dismissed the case. He was then able to use that to convince the prosecutor on the criminal charge to let me into PTI despite the general prohibition of letting someone with a 2nd degree charge into that program. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay out of trouble and I eventually picked up another restraining order, and an additional assault charge, and a charge for violating a restraining order. To add to all of that I also got charged with a separate shoplifting case.

Ryan kept at it though. He asserted a defense in the restraining order violation case and pushed it right up to a trial when the prosecutor finally just dismissed it. Because he kept going back to court and pushing the prosecutors to their proofs he eventually wore them out I think. The end result was that the remaining assault and shoplifting charges were also dismissed and I was able to complete PTI since I had no convictions. Soon I will be having Ryan do an expungement for me that will completely clear my record. I never would have thought an attorney would have fought that hard for someone who kept getting into trouble, but Ryan never gave up on me. At every step he was prepared and I could see how he put his trial experience to work to help move both the prosecutors and judges away from throwing the book at me. I cannot believe that any other attorney could have gotten me these kind of results and I am so grateful.