Gloucester NJ Hindering Apprehension Lawyer
Criminal Defense Attorney in Camden County, New Jersey
Giving false information to the police or assisting someone in evading the police can lead to hindering apprehension charges. Many times people simply want to help a friend out and are unaware of the serious charges they might be facing for doing so. In fact, the prosecution will often choose to impose the maximum punishment in these cases. If you have been charged with hindering apprehension, you will need a knowledgeable and experienced attorney to defend you against the charges and help avoid receiving these harsh penalties.
The criminal defense team at the the Law Offices of Leonard Biddison defend clients charged with assault and threat related offenses such as aggravated assault, obstruction of justice, and harassment in Camden County including Voorhees, Winslow, Camden, Gloucester, and Collingswood. With almost 40 years of combined experience, our defense attorneys know what it takes to help get you the most desirable result in your hindering apprehension case. This sort of experience and expertise can be extremely valuable in your case. The Law Offices of Leonard Biddison are available anytime for a free initial consultation to speak with you about your case. Call us today at 877-450-8301.
New Jersey Hindering Apprehension Statute: N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3
According to N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3, a person is guilty of hindering apprehension if:
a. With purpose to hinder the detention, apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction or punishment of another for an offense or violation of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or a violation of chapter 33A of Title 17 of the Revised Statutes he:
(1) Harbors or conceals the other;
(2) Provides or aids in providing a weapon, money, transportation, disguise or other means of avoiding discovery or apprehension or effecting escape;
(3) Suppresses, by way of concealment or destruction, any evidence of the crime, or tampers with a witness, informant, document or other source of information, regardless of its admissibility in evidence, which might aid in the discovery or apprehension of such person or in the lodging of a charge against him;
(4) Warns the other of impending discovery or apprehension, except that this paragraph does not apply to a warning given in connection with an effort to bring another into compliance with law;
(5) Prevents or obstructs, by means of force, intimidation or deception, anyone from performing an act which might aid in the discovery or apprehension of such person or in the lodging of a charge against him;
(6) Aids such person to protect or expeditiously profit from an advantage derived from such crime; or
(7) Gives false information to a law enforcement officer or a civil State investigator assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor established by section 32 of P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:33A-16).
An offense under paragraph (5) of subsection a. of this section is a second degree crime, unless the actor is a spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, parent or child to the person aided who is the victim of the offense, in which case the offense is a fourth degree crime. Otherwise, the offense is a third degree crime if the conduct which the actor knows has been charged or is liable to be charged against the person aided would constitute a crime of the second degree or greater, unless the actor is a spouse, domestic partner, partner in a civil union, parent or child of the person aided, in which case the offense is a crime of the fourth degree. The offense is a fourth degree crime if such conduct would constitute a third degree crime. Otherwise it is a disorderly persons offense.
b. A person commits an offense if, with purpose to hinder his own detention, apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction or punishment for an offense or violation of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or a violation of chapter 33A of Title 17 of the Revised Statutes, he:
(1) Suppresses, by way of concealment or destruction, any evidence of the crime or tampers with a document or other source of information, regardless of its admissibility in evidence, which might aid in his discovery or apprehension or in the lodging of a charge against him; or
(2) Prevents or obstructs by means of force or intimidation anyone from performing an act which might aid in his discovery or apprehension or in the lodging of a charge against him; or
(3) Prevents or obstructs by means of force, intimidation or deception any witness or informant from providing testimony or information, regardless of its admissibility, which might aid in his discovery or apprehension or in the lodging of a charge against him; or
(4) Gives false information to a law enforcement officer or a civil State investigator assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor established by section 32 of P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:33A-16).
An offense under paragraph (3) of subsection b. is a second degree crime. Otherwise, the offense is a third degree crime if the conduct which the actor knows has been charged or is liable to be charged against him would constitute a crime of the second degree or greater. The offense is a fourth degree crime if such conduct would constitute a third degree crime. Otherwise it is a disorderly persons offense.
Degrees of Hindering Apprehension in New Jersey
If you are convicted of hindering apprehension in the second degree, you can receive 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison. Third degree will result in a state prison sentence of 3 to 5 years. A fourth degree conviction can result in up to 18 months in county jail and a disorderly persons offense can result in 6 months in the county jail.
Note: Hindering apprehension in the second degree carries a presumption of incarceration meaning that even with a clean record, a conviction will result in mandatory jail time. On the other hand, if you are charged with this crime in any other degree, it carries a presumption of non-incarceration meaning you are much more likely likely to avoid jail and receive probation.
Contact a Lindenwold NJ Hindering Lawyer for a Free Consultation
The criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Leonard Biddison are always available to speak with you about your case and begin to formulate an aggressive strategy to defend you against your hindering apprehension charge. Our criminal defense team understands the details of the law in New Jersey and we will use this knowledge to help you best defend against these charges. Call us today at 877-450-8301 for a free initial consultation about your case.