Criminal Lawyers Providing Aggressive Defense in Burlington County Superior Court
Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys for Individuals Charged with Indictable Crimes in Mount Holly, New Jersey
If you have been charged with a crime of the first, second, third, or fourth degree in Burlington County, you are not alone. Burlington County is the largest county in New Jersey in terms of square miles, and it stretches from one side of the State to the other, housing over 448,000 residents. With so many people and so much area to cover, law enforcement officials from local police departments and the New Jersey State Police aggressively patrol municipalities like Evesham Township, Pemberton, Willingboro, Mount Laurel, and throughout Burlington County, in search of people who may be breaking the state’s criminal and traffic laws. Those arrested on criminal charges for felony crimes like heroin possession, marijuana distribution, aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a weapon are called to Burlington County Superior Court, located in the county seat of Mount Holly.
If you are among the many people charged with a felony, otherwise known as an indictable offense, it is imperative to have a skilled Burlington County criminal defense lawyer protecting your innocence. At our local criminal defense law firm, our attorneys have extensive experience defending clients facing criminal indictments in Superior Court in Mount Holly. Our featured partner, former New Jersey Assistant Deputy Attorney General William Fay, has years’ experience fighting to deliver the best possible results for clients facing charges out of Burlington Township, Bordentown, Cinnaminson, and nearby areas in South Jersey. To discuss your specific criminal case, contact us online or call 609-832-3202 anytime for a free consultation.
Criminal Charges Handled in Burlington County Superior Court
When a person is charged with an indictable crime in Burlington County, these cases are sent to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and adjudicated in Burlington County Superior Court, Criminal Division. An indictable crime, also known as a felony, includes first degree, second degree, third degree, and fourth degree offenses. Some common examples of felony charges in Burlington County include cocaine possession, prescription drug offenses, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, and sexual assault.
The Burlington County Superior Court is located at 49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, New Jersey 08060. The main court office can be reached at (609) 518-2600 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Presiding Criminal Division Judge is the Honorable Jeanne T. Covert, P.J.Cr. The Burlington County Criminal Division is located in the Rancocas Building at 50 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, New Jersey 08060. The Criminal Division Manager is Shannon DeNise-Budenas, whose contact number is (609)-518-2565. For more information about the Burlington County Superior Court, visit this page. You can also read more about the Burlington County Criminal Division by clicking here.
Since criminal charges punishable by state prison time are issued on a regular basis, the Superior Court is like a revolving door for criminal cases, constantly processing new ones, which are prosecuted by members of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office is located on the Second Floor of the Courts Facility at 49 Rancocas Road, P.O. Box 6000, Mt. Holly, New Jersey 08060. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The main phone number is (609)-265-5035 and fax number is (609)-265-5491. The current Burlington County Prosecutor is Scott A. Coffina. For additional information about the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, access this page.
Legal Process for Felony Offenses in Burlington County, New Jersey
Being charged with a serious crime entails a specific criminal process and allows for certain unchanging rights for the defendant. First of all, indictable felony charges require what is known as an indictment. This entails a presentation to a grand jury of randomly selected citizens who will hear the evidence that the state has against the defendant, and decide if said evidence is sufficient to proceed with the case. In other words, an indictable case cannot move forward to the trial phase without a decision to indict the person being charged. When indictable charges are first filed against a person, they are sent to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office for review. The Prosecutor’s Office will examine the evidence associated with the specific felony accusation and determine if the case should remain at the county level or be downgraded and remanded to municipal court. The prosecutor handling the case may decide that there is not enough to move forward, and instead downgrade the charges to a lesser offense. This is basically a reduction of the degree of the offense, which if from a felony to a disorderly persons charge, leads to a transferring of the case to the lower Municipal Court where the charges originated. If they choose to keep the case at the county, they will present the evidence to a grand jury that decides whether or not to indict the defendant.
There are a few other things that can happen in a criminal case at the Superior Court level as well. Even before a grand jury presentation and decision to indict or issue a “no bill,” the defendant will have a pre-indictment conference, where they are provided with limited discovery and an initial plea offer by the prosecutor. Should you choose to take a plea, your case moves to a subsequent sentencing phase and the trial procedure is avoided. There is also an opportunity to apply for admission into a diversionary program such as Pre-Trial Intervention, which is an available avenue for some first-time offenders that offers a way to get the charges dismissed. For example, those charged with fourth degree or third degree theft crimes can often use PTI to achieve a dismissal in lieu of a conviction that is inevitably damaging to their criminal record. Even some second degree charges can be resolved by entrance into PTI, with a compelling presentation as to why the defendant is a good candidate.
It is extremely important to have an experienced criminal defense lawyer representing your interests throughout the legal process in a Burlington County Superior Court case, from the pre-indictment conference to plea bargaining, potentially applying for Pretrial Intervention (PTI) or Drug Court, and/or defending you at trial. Our lawyers deal with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office on a regular basis and with our decades of combined criminal law practice, we are well-equipped to advocate for you.
If you have been charged with a felony in Burlington Superior Court, contact our experienced Mount Holly and Burlington NJ criminal defense lawyers for a free consultation: 609-832-3202.
Directions to the Superior Court of Burlington County
Busy Burlington County NJ Municipal Courts when Your Charges are Downgraded
When the original criminal charges against you are downgraded from a felony level to a disorderly persons (misdemeanor) level, the case will be sent down to the lower Municipal Court in the town that handles criminal charges for disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses, and motor vehicle violations, where the charges originated. For example, if you were arrested in Mount Laurel for having 7 Xanax pills without a prescription and the prosecutor decides to downgrade your indictable drug offense to a misdemeanor, the case will then be handled by the Mount Laurel Municipal Court. Similarly, arrests are very common in certain towns in Burlington County, so the following courts handle many criminal and traffic cases:
- Burlington Township
- Bordentown: make sure you clarify as to whether your case is being heard in Bordentown City/Fieldsboro Court or Bordentown Township
- Evesham Township
- Mount Holly
- Florence
- Cinnaminson
