PRE-TRIAL INTERVENTION TO DISMISS CRIMINAL CHARGES

By Kenneth A. Vercammen, Esq.

Under New Jersey Criminal Statute and Court Rules, someone chared with an
indicta!le criminal o""ense who has no #rior indicta!le o""enses can a##ly "or $re%&rial
'nter(ention )$&'*.
&his Statute #ermits someone under limited instances to ha(e the #rosecution sto##ed
and enter into a #ro!ation ty#e #roram. '" someone success"ully com#letes $&', the
indicta!le criminal chare is dismissed.
$&' is not a(aila!le i" the criminal o""ense is a disorderly #erson o""ense, such as
sim#le assault, harassment or sho#li"tin. +or #ersons "acin a "irst o""ense #ossession o"
mari,uana chare, they can a##ly "or a Conditional -ischare. NJSA .C/ 01%2. As a #ractical
matter, in 3unici#al Courts, the de"ense attorneys sometimes can wor4 out an areement
with the com#lainant in a munici#al court criminal tic4et to ha(e the #rosecution #ut on hold
"or si5 months. '" the de"endant com#lies with a sti#ulated areement, such as stayin away
"rom the com#lainant, a"ter 1 months the criminal chares are dismissed.
't is im#erati(e "or someone "acin criminal chares, whether indicta!le or not, to
immediately hire an e5#erienced criminal attorney. -o not rely on a real estate attorney to !e
"amiliar with recent cases a""ectin $&' and criminal law.
$&' should !e a##lied "or immediately with Criminal Case 3anaement. &he Court
Rules ha(e time limits "or $&' a##lication and a##eals "rom denial o" $&'. $rocedurally, once
the accused a##lies "or $&', a decision to acce#t or re,ect is made !y the Criminal Case
3anaer. '" a##ro(ed, then the County $rosecutor6s o""ice must a##ro(e. &herea"ter, the
Su#erior Court Jude assined to the case must a##ro(e the de"endant.
'" the de"endant is re,ected !y either the Criminal Case 3anaer or the $rosecutor, a
timely a##eal must !e "iled with the Su#erior Court Jude.
'n $ractice, we recommend the client o!tain letters o" re"erence, #roo" o" em#loyment,
a resume and other su##ortin documents to #ro(ide to the Criminal Case 3anaer. Similar
to sentencin, you want to #ro(ide any !ene"icial "acts and #a#ers to demonstrate the
de"endant is a "irst time o""ender who is unli4ely to aain !e in(ol(ed in a criminal case.
Similar to $ro!ation "ollowin a uilty #lea or con(iction, the Court can require the
de"endant to #er"orm certain acts. &y#ical re%trial orders direct the de"endant to not et
arrested, undero dru and alcohol testin and counselin, #ay restitution or #er"orm other
acts. Non%com#liance will result in dismissal "rom $&'. &herea"ter, the de"endant must "ace
trial on all indicta!le chares.
C7N-'&'7NA8 -'SC9AR:E 7+ -RU: C9AR:ES 'N 3UN'C'$A8 C7UR&
Some #eo#le are chared with #ossession o" small amounts o" mari,uana. N.J.S.A.
.C/01A%2 #ro(ides that a #erson not #re(iously con(icted o" a dru o""ense either under &itle
.C or &itle .; and who has not #re(iously !een ranted <su#er(isory treatment< under
N.J.S.A. .;/.2%.=, .C/;0%2. or .C/01A%2 may a##ly "or a conditional dischare. &he court
u#on notice to the #rosecutor and su!,ect to .C/01A%2)c* may, on the motion o" the de"endant
or the court, sus#end "urther #roceedins and #lace the de"endant on su#er(isory treatment
)i.e., #ro!ation,, su#er(ised or unsu#er(ised attendance at Narcotics Anonymous, etc.*.
Since the rantin o" a conditional dischare is o#tional with the court, de"ense counsel
should !e #re#ared to #ro(e, throuh letters, documents, or e(en witnesses, that the
de"endant6s continued #resence in the community or in a ci(il treatment #roram, will not #ose
a daner to the community.
-e"ense counsel should !e #re#ared to con(ince the court that the terms and
conditions o" su#er(isory treatment will !e adequate to #rotect the #u!lic and will !ene"it the
de"endant !y ser(in to correct any de#endence on or use o" controlled su!stances. +or
a##lica!le caselaw on conditional dischares, see State (. Sanders, N.J. Su#er. >2> )A##.
-i(. 2?=?*, State (. Ban4s, 2>= N.J. Su#er. ;;. )8aw -i(. 2?=@*, State (. :rochuls4i, 200 N.J.
Su#er. >@1 )8aw -i(. 2?=>*, State (. &eitel!aum, 21A N.J. Su#er. ;>A )8aw -i(. 2?=@*, State
(. -i8uBio, 20A N.J. Su#er. ..A )8aw -i(. 2?=;*. &he de"endant must !e required to #ay a
C;>.AA a##lication "ee, #lus the mandatory C>AA.AA -E-R #enalty. &he court "urther has the
o#tion to sus#end a de"endant6s dri(er6s license "or !etween si5 months and two years.
&he conditional dischare #eriod is also !etween si5 months and two years. '" the
de"endant is con(icted o" a dru o""ense durin the C- #eriod or (iolates the conditions set !y
the court, the #rosecution resumes. &he de"endant may e(en a##ly "or a conditional
dischare a"ter heDshe is "ound uilty, !ut !e"ore sentence is im#osed. '" the C- is ranted at
this #oint in the #roceedin, the 1 to .; month license sus#ension is mandatory.
-ru related o""enses carry su!stantial #enalties which will e""ect a client "or the rest o"
his li"e. &he s#ace limits o" this article do not allow detailed e5#lanation o" the e5tensi(e
caselaw on controlled danerous su!stances. 3em!ers o" the Bar must acce#t the challene
and a##ly their leal talents to ensure that the rihts o" their clients are #rotected.
C7NC8US'7N
$re%trial inter(ention is an e5cellent o##ortunity "or someone to a(oid a trial and
con(iction. '" "acin criminal chares, quic4ly sit down with a criminal attorney to #rotect your
rihts. '" acce#ted into $re%&rial 'nter(ention, 3otions to Su##ress E(idence and other
3otions are #ut on hold.