Philip Nettl Criminal Law Blog on Lawyers.com

A defendant may defend his or her own case, but retaining an experienced NJ criminal defense attorney can be invaluable, particularly when the case involves more than a minor infraction. Criminal defense law can be confusing, and the state usually is well prepared to prosecute its cases. Besides simply presenting a defense, criminal defense lawyers are adept at negotiating for a lesser charge or punishment and at positioning cases for appeal, both of which can be important in resolving a case.

There are different types of offenses in the state of New Jersey for which a criminal may be tried in a court of law. These crimes can be categorized as petty offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies according to the severity of punishment associated with the particular crime. Petty offenses are minor offenses that usually are punishable by fines and include traffic violations and infractions of minor ordinances. Misdemeanors generally are crimes involving punishment of one year or less in jail. Felonies normally are crimes punishable by more than one year in jail.