New Jersey Criminal Defense Blog

A 51-year-old Haskell woman, who is facing drunk driving charges in connection with a fiery crash that killed a New York couple on Aug. 19, is now facing vehicular homicide charges, according to a news report in the New Jersey Herald . Officials said Kathleen Sullivan was under the influence of alcohol when she caused a chain reaction crash that send Keey and Cynthia Felski’s Ford Explorer airborne and injured the couple fatally.

Among the many charges Sullivan is facing are second-degree vehicular homicide, five counts of assault by auto causing bodily injury, the article stated. If convicted she faces a maximum prison term of 10 years. The Felskis were reportedly returning home to Brooklyn and were passing through New Jersey after dropping off their daughter at Syracuse University.

Continue reading "New Jersey Woman Faces Vehicular Homicide Charge In Five-Car Wreck" »

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Posted In: DUI DWI Drunk Driving

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A New Jersey doctor, already being accused of sexually assaulting 10 female patients, could face additional charges on suspicion of abusing more women in his care, according to a news report in the New York Times .

According to the report, 64-year-old Raymond P. Russomanno was arrested for the second time in about a week and faces one charge of second-degree sexual assault and 23 counts of criminal sexual contact in incidents that reportedly occurred over the last five years or so, officials told the newspaper. His first arrest on Aug. 20 was spurred by a report from one of his patients – a 27-year-old woman – who told police that the doctor assaulted her when she visited him in his Bloomfield office. Russomanno has since been out on a $200,000.

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Posted In: Criminal Defense

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A police officer in Plainfield is in trouble after he reportedly crashed into two other vehicles while he was driving drunk on the highway. According to a news report in the The Star Ledger 38-year-old Rodney Sanders has been charged with third-degree assault by auto in the July 31 incident. Officials say his blood alcohol level was almost thrice the legal limit.

According to the news report, the officer was driving a 1999 GMC Yukon Denali on the highway when he struck the rear of a pickup truck. Police reports say that as Sanders then tried to pass that truck, he hit another car. Drivers of both cars struck by Sanders were injured and one of them was seriously injured. Sanders, who was not seriously injured, refused medical services on the scene. But he failed field sobriety and breath tests, the news article states. He was then arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Sanders’ blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.23 percent. The legal limit in the State of New Jersey is 0.08 percent.

Continue reading "New Jersey Cop Charged With DWI And Assault By Autos" »

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Posted In: DUI DWI Drunk Driving

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Police stopped a Willingboro man early morning Sept. 19 on Route 1 because officers say he was speeding at 75 mph. But according to a crime blog in The Times of Trenton police officers smelled something else in his vehicle – burning marijuana.

David Williams, 24 was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia and faces speeding and other motor vehicle code violations, the article states. Williams, who was actually stopped for allegedly speeding on the southbound lanes, had about 50 grams of pot in his Nissan Maxima, the report said. Police inspected the vehicle after they smelled the marijuana in the car.

Continue reading "New Jersey Man Charged With Drug Crimes And Vehicle Code Violations" »

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Posted In: Drug Offenses

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Two New Jersey High School Students are in serious legal hot water after police say they have traced a misspelled note threatening to blow up the school with several bombs, to the 17-year-olds. According to an article posted on NBC’s Web site, the note was a copycat attempt, after another one was mailed a day earlier to the mayor of a neighboring city, causing 12 north New Jersey schools to cancel classes for an entire day.

According to the news report, police would not divulge how they connected the note to the two students, but said that the note was signed by “Alcada,” referring to the radical Islamic terrorist group Al Qaida, which is believed to be responsible for the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World trade Center and the Pentagon. Eventually the two students suspected of authoring the note were summoned to the principal’s office and arrested without incident, the report said.

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Posted In: Criminal Defense

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A Bayonne teenager is wanted by police on suspicion of eluding police who attempted to apprehend him on drug charges earlier this week. According to a news article in the Jersey Journal, 19-year-old Wadi Williams was found by police at the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Station without a valid ticket.

The article states that when he tried to pull out an identification card, a small plastic bag of marijuana came out stuck to the card. Officials told the newspaper that they then saw him produce another bag from his other pants pocket that contained 20 smaller bags also filled with marijuana.

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Wharton police are accusing a former PTA treasurer of theft saying she stole at least $10,000 over the period of several years from the organization. According to a news report in the Daily Record, 36-year-old Marlene Bencel not only stole the money but also falsified the organization’s financial records to camouflage the theft.

Bencel served as the group’s treasurer since 2001, officials said. According to police detectives, Bencel created a fake bank statement and handed it to other members of the PTA during an audit. Group leaders are now looking at documents over the years to determine how much money has been taken and when, the newspaper reported.

Continue reading "PTA Treasurer Accused of Stealing $10,000 from Her Own Organization" »

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Posted In: Theft/Shoplifting

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