Category Archives: My Practice
New Jersey Expungement Attorney
New Jersey Expungement Attorney
The New Jersey expungement attorney Jef Henninger can help you erease your past so that you can move on with your life. Many of my clients seek out a NJ expungement attorney for both convictions and charges that ended in a dismissal or acquittal. This is because New Jersey arrests may still be found by employers and schools which can cause you to be fired or not accepted for a position or admission. A New Jersey expungement attorney will help you get your life back on track by giving you a fresh start.
A New Jersey Expungement Lawyer that is easy to reach
A New Jersey Expungement Lawyer is always easy to reach. When you call us at 732-773-2768 you get an expungement lawyer to answer the phone every day. You can also meet with an expungement lawyer in any one of my eight New Jersey offices: Newark, Jersey City, Toms River, Princeton, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Woodbridge and East Brunswick. Call today!
Theft charges for stolen wallet dismissed
My client had allegedly stolen a wallet at a party and was later caught by the police. I thought this case would be a little tough, but I was able to get the criminal charges dismissed in exchange for payment of a small fine.
Jury finds client not guilty of burglary charges in 20 minutes
This was a tough case. My client is a 7’2 Hispanic man so you cannot confuse him with anyone else. He was charged with burglary of his ex-girlfriend’s house and theft of thousands of dollars of her property. A neighbor testified that he saw my client in the driveway of the home at the time of the burglary. My client also lied to his ex by telling her that he was in Florida at the time. He also sent her a text message on the same day asking her if anyone would be home during the time of the burglary. My client did not have a solid alibi for the time of the burglary either. Thus, the State seemed to have a slam dunk case. Nevertheless, I fought hard for the client and methodically exposed all of the holes in the State’s case. I estimate that it only took the jury 20 minutes to reach their not guilty verdict. The incredible speed of that verdict tells me that the jury had no question about my client’s innocence which was amazing to me given the strength of the State’s case on paper. I doubt I will be able to get a faster verdict than that in the future as it takes time to take a vote and fill out the form. Thus, this is what I consider, an instant verdict.
Client gets probation for role in robberies
My client was facing charges of first degree robbery for being the get away driver for two robberies. He confessed before he hired me and as a result, he was facing 10 to 20 years for each robbery count. Of that, he would have to serve 85% before he would be eligible to be released on parole. Needless to say, the State had good case since the client confessed. The case took over a year and a half to finish up. The plea offer was 3 years in prison without 85%. Getting that plea offer was very difficult. Getting the Court to go along with it would have been a great accomplishment in and of itself. So, I was happy that we got that. At sentencing, my associate Jennifer Marshall filled in for me. Even though it seemed like an impossible take, she argued for probation. The Court was so persuaded by her arguments that the Court sentenced the client to a probationary term so that he did not have to spend one day in jail/prison.
New Jersey DYFS Attorney
To speak to a NJ DYFS Lawyer right now, call 732-773-2768.
My phone seems to be ringing off the hook lately with people calling up about DYFS cases. In New Jersey, DYFS cases can be independent of any criminal case or they can be integral to a criminal investigation and/or charge. For example, DYFS can close a case but the County Prosecutor’s office can pick it up and prosecute one or both of the parents. Likewise, DYFS can take action against a parent even though the Prosecutor’s Office has not brought any charges.
On the other hand, a police investigation can lead to DYFS involvement and more importantly, a DYFS investigation can quickly turn into a criminal investigation. Besides the police, DYFS in New Jersey can be called by a hospital, a school or a neighbor. Thus, it is extremely important to call a New Jersey DYFS attorney at the first sign of trouble. Some people wait for months but quite often, it is far too late at that point. Anything said to DYFS, hospital staff, school officials and police can be used against the parent in both a case to terminate parental rights and the criminal case.
Common DYFS allegations in NJ include: shaken baby syndrome, sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, drug abuse and alcohol abuse. If there are criminal charges, at least one of the charges usually includes endangering the welfare of a child.
DYFS may claim that the same attorney cannot represent a parent in a DYFS case and the resulting criminal case. They may fear that the information received in the DYFS case may provide the parent with an advantage in the criminal case as the parent will receive evidence that may be unavailable to the usual criminal defendant. However, New Jersey courts have shot this down and the law is clear: one attorney can represent the same person in both proceedings. However, they may still try to catch a naive attorney off guard. Thus, hiring a knowledgeable New Jersey lawyer is important.
If you have a pending DYFS investigation or case in any court in New Jersey, call the team of tough, smart lawyers that will fight for you. With 10 offices in New Jersey, we are easy to reach no matter where you live. Call 732-773-2768 to speak with our NJ DYFS lawyers at any time of the day.
Offices in Toms River (Ocean County) Freehold, Red Bank, Eatontown (Monmouth County) New Brunswick, Woodbridge, East Brunswick (Middlesex County) Princeton (Mercer County) Jersey City (Hudson County) and Newark (Essex County).
I’ll call you back and I won’t curse you off
Got a great new client today. I feel really bad for this woman. She hired an attorney for her son who is facing a number of charges. It seems like this attorney did nothing and never called her. When she finally got him on the phone, he refused to go see her son in jail and he cursed her off. As a professional, there is no reason for that. I know some people can be difficult, but she is really nice.
She was really worried that the same thing would happen again. I assured her that I did not build a state-wide practice with only three attorneys buy not calling back my clients and then cursing them off when they got me on the phone! Since she has my cell phone number, I don’t think she’ll ever have a problem tracking me down.
My job might not be easy, but its times like this that I just love what I do. I’m going to show her how a real attorney fights for her son!
Ocean County, NJ Restaurant Owner Cleared of Criminal Sexual Contact Charges
My client, G.S. is the owner of a popular Ocean County, New Jersey restaurant. After firing a young waitress for causing problems with a customer, she called the police and charged my client with numerous criminal sexual contact charges that allegedly took place over a period of months. Thus, not only was my client facing serious felony charges but if this case made the local paper, his restaurant business could have gone under.
Luckily, my client called me early. Thus, I was able to hit the ground running as I always do in these cases. When I first met with the client, I developed a plan and put that into action right away. If he was indicted, the case would have become rather high profile which could force a trial due to the public pressure on the State. As a result, I had to get the prosecutor to dismiss the felony charges before indictment..
These charges are clearly bogus and thankfully, the prosecutor agreed. Thus, the felony charges were dismissed within weeks which is lightning fast in Ocean County. However, there were numerous assault and other charges that remained at the municipal court level.
Because these charges were so baseless, I made a motion to dismiss at the first court appearance. That motion was granted at the second court appearance which was today. Thus, my client has no criminal record, his name and more importantly, the name of his restaurant were not in the paper and he can resume his normal life. Needless to say, my client was very thankful and he assured me that he will be sending a lot of people my way.
Man avoids prison in Shaken Baby Syndrome case
My client, Abdul K., was facing numerous charges that could have landed him in prison for 10 years. This was a tough case because the injuries to the child were complex and the family did not have any money for serious litigation. Thus, I had to move quick to get the best possible result. Not only did I move quick, but I earned praise from the prosecutor for doing so. I worked out a deal for a 3 flat, which I thought was an amazing deal.
Because I was going to be on trial, I gave the case to my associate, Jennifer Marshall to finish. As no one in my firm just mails it in, she reviewed the updated medical records which seriously called into question the extent of the damage that the client may have caused. As a result, Jennifer convinced the prosecutor to rework the plea so that the client was sentenced to time served; just 37 days and just amazing when you consider the lack of money that was available to litigate this case. We did all of this without filing one motion.
Six domestic violence cases dismissed in four weeks
My firm handles a lot of domestic violence. It is a complex area of the law and in my opinion, there are too many lawyers in New Jersey that don’t fully understand how to handle these cases. Instead, they just wing it like every other case that often leads to some horrible results. While we win a large number of our cases, we have secured six wins in four weeks.
There are three type of domestic violence cases: restraining orders, violations of restraining orders and criminal charges such as assault and harassment. Among the six cases, we had two of each.
Two clients had temporary restraining orders against and both were dismissed before they were made final. Needless to say, both clients are very thankful that they do not have to deal with a final restraining order which can be life altering, especially if children are involved. I (Jef Henninger) handled both cases.
Two clients were also facing assault charges. One client was facing charges for assaulting his sister and the other was accused of assaulting his wife. The client with the charges pressed by his wife has a great job that would have been in jeopardy if convicted. I (Jef Henninger) handled both of these cases.
Two other clients were facing contempt charges for violating final restraining orders. (they did not hire me for the final restraining order hearing, although they now wish they did). Both clients were alleged to have called the victim. When I asked for the phone records, both prosecutors expressed surprise that I would want something like that! It took quite a while to work these cases out as a result.
In the first case, the State refused to provide us with the records and since the case was getting old, it was dismissed. In the second case, I had actually got the case dismissed first in Newark Municipal Court as it was filed improperly. After it was refiled, I fought against it again. Like the other case, I pressed for the phone records. When I got to court for the second court appearance, I met the prosecutor in the elevator. She took the case over from another prosecutor. By the time I got to the 9th floor, she agreed to dismiss the case against my client. I handled the first case, but my associate Jennifer Marshall finished it for me.
While every case is different, you can clearly see that my firm has a track record of aggressive litigation that produces results. If you want an attorney that will fight for you, give me a call today.
Tonacchio Law LC 