The New Jersey criminal court may punish you after finding you guilty of a criminal offense to deter you from committing this crime again or other types of crimes in the future. But most unfortunately, you may not have fully learned your lesson from your first incident, and you may find yourself standing before the criminal court to defend yourself once more. In this scenario, please continue reading to learn how your previous convictions might affect your current criminal charges and how an experienced Morris County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer at the Macri Law Firm can help protect you from harsh consequences.
What should I know about New Jersey’s three-strikes law?
Many jurisdictions hold repeat offender laws, and in New Jersey, there is the three-strikes law. This law holds that a criminal judge may rule to impose harsher sentences on individuals found guilty of specific serious crimes after two prior convictions for the same or similar offenses. In other words, a third-time offender may be up against severe criminal consequences.
For example, this law applies to robbery offenses. Usually, being charged with a second-degree robbery offense comes with a prison sentence of five to 10 years and a fine of up to $150,000. But also, with New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, this is a violent crime that requires you to serve at least 85 percent of your prison sentence before you can become eligible for parole.
However, say this is your third time being convicted of second-degree robbery. Now, the judge will look at your prior criminal record and use their discretion to determine your sentence. In a worst-case scenario, this third-time offense may result in a lifetime imprisonment with parole never becoming an available option. At the very least, you may have to spend more than 10 years in prison and pay more than $150,000 in fines.
It is worth mentioning the double jeopardy clause here, found in the Fifth Amendment. This clause only holds that you cannot be tried twice for a single crime. However, this does not mean that you cannot be tried twice for committing the same crime two separate times. Also, it does not prevent the judge from seriously considering your prior crimes for your current sentencing.
How else can previous convictions affect current criminal charges?
Besides being ultimately imposed with increased penalties, your previous convictions may make your current criminal case proceedings more difficult in the following ways:
- You may be subject to stricter bail conditions when initially arrested for a criminal offense.
- You may be subject to less lenient plea bargain options ahead of your criminal court case.
- You may be subject to a more aggressive argument made against you by the prosecution.
If you desire more clarity before you head into these proceedings, please do not wait any longer to reach out to a skilled Morris County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer. Retain the services of the Macri Law Firm today.