New Jersey Federal Cases

When a criminal case is heard before New Jersey Federal Court, you should know that the stakes have been raised significantly. Criminal indictments in Federal Courts are not uncommon for cases involving RICO charges, major drug trafficking, and complex white collar crimes. Initially, The Federal Court system may seem confusing to some, but if it is explained well, we can see that it is in fact similar to New Jersey State Courts in many way.

1. Pre-Trial: Once you have been arrested and processed, the representatives of The Federal Government in The District of New Jersey begin their prosecution by assigning you a pre-trial services officer. This is done so that The Federal Courts may have an idea as to what your background is, in order for the Judge to make a determination on bail.
2. Arraignment: Federal arraignment in The District of New Jersey is your first court appearance for as of yet unproven criminal charges in New Jersey Federal Court. At arraignment, you can tell the judge how you wish to plea. Once that plea is entered, the judge will decide on your bail. It should be important to note that bail is not assured in New Jersey federal cases and the judge can make the decision to hold you in jail until your New Jersey Federal case is completed.
3. Pre-Trial Motions: A trial date is set after arraignment, at which times the federal prosecutors and your New Jersey federal criminal defense attorney will appear before the judge regarding pre-trial motions. In most New Jersey federal cases, these motions will be centered about gathering and providing evidence and whether or not specific pieces of evidence will be admissible at trial. In federal cases, this stage is especially crucial because of the increased resources that The Federal Government have at their disposal and the damage that can be done at trial with the large amounts of evidence that The Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of New Jersey will have gathered. A skilled federal defense lawyer will know how to use pretrial motions to limit the amount of evidence, giving their client every possible advantage going to trial.
4. Trial: After the pre-trial steps have finished, the trial is held. First, a jury will be selected to hear the case. Second, the evidence will be presented by both sides. The Federal Government for The State of New Jersey will try to use this evidence to prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If they fail in that, the jury must find you not guilty.

If you have been found innocent at trial, the following will not apply to you and your New Jersey Federal case:

1. Sentencing: In the event that you avoided trial by taking what is commonly referred to as a “plea deal,” you will skip the trial and go directly to sentencing. During sentencing, the judge will decide what the punishment for your criminal charges will be. The way that the judge will decide this is by gathering all the evidence from the trial as well as any reports from your pre-trial officer and any sentencing memorandum filed by your New Jersey federal defense lawyer. Federal sentencing is guided by rather complex and rigid rules and is hard to understand on your own. Contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at your New Jersey federal law firm if you have any questions about your federal case in The State of New Jersey.

The Blanch Law Firm Can Help

In the event that this brief summary has not sufficiently answered all you questions about federal cases in New Jersey, contact the skilled and experienced federal criminal defense attorneys at The Blanch Law Firm. The Blanch Law Firm takes on many criminal cases heard before federal court and has skilled attorneys who are experienced in federal proceedings ready and willing to answer any questions surrounding your case.