STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. DONNELL W. ANCRUM A-0932-16T2

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. DONNELL W. ANCRUM
          A-0932-16T2

The court granted the State's leave to appeal from an illegal sentence. Defendant was charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, second-degree aggravated assault (serious bodily injury) and third-degree aggravated assault (significant bodily injury). After indicating the assault charges would merge into the robbery under the facts of the case and the effect of the mergers would be defendant's eligibility for special probation, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14 (the Statute), the judge accepted defendant's guilty pleas to all four counts of the indictment. At sentencing, over the State's continued objection, the judge sentenced defendant to special probation, conditioned on his entry into, and completion of, Drug Court.
The court reversed, concluding that although the 2012 amendment to the Statute made defendants convicted of second- degree robbery and burglary eligible for special probation, the Legislature intended to continue to bar a defendant convicted of aggravated assault from receiving such a sentence. Similar to those cases in which the Legislature clearly intended certain mandatory sentences survive merger, a conviction for one of the Statute's disqualifying offenses survives merger and bars defendant's sentence to special probation 

Probate and duty of executor

Duties/ Executor to Do

-Notice of Probate to Beneficiaries (Attorney will handle)
If charity, notice to Atty General

File notice of Probate with Surrogate (Attorney will handle)

Apply to Federal Tax ID if there will be several beneficiaries

Set up Estate Account at bank (pay all bills from estate account)

Pay Bills  
List real estate for sale and have attorney prepare, Deed, Affidavit of title and other document

File first Federal and State Income Tax Return [CPA- ex Marc Kane]

Prepare Inheritance Tax Return and obtain Tax Waivers (Attorney will handle)

File waivers within 8 months upon receipt (Attorney will handle)

Prepare Informal Accounting 

Prepare Release and Refunding Bond (Attorney will handle)




Obtain Child Support Judgment clearance (Attorney will handle)

Let's review the major duties involved, which we've set out below.

In General. The executor's job is to (1) administer the estate--i.e., collect and manage assets, file tax returns and pay taxes and debts--and (2) distribute any assets or make any distributions of bequests, whether personal or charitable in nature, as the deceased directed (under the provisions of the Will). Let's take a look at some of the specific steps involved and what these responsibilities can mean. Chronological order of the various duties may vary.
KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500

39:4-97 Careless driving

39:4-97 Careless driving
    39:4-104 Fine or imprisonment not
exceeding 15 days, or both
$50 $200 plus court costs
NJ MVC Points 39:4-97 Careless driving 2
and 2 Car insurance points
Plus Judge Can Suspend DL for Willful Traffic Offense.
State v. Moran  202 NJ 311 (2010)
 The license suspension provision of N.J.S.A. 39:5-31, which is published in the Motor Vehicle Code of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated, is not “hidden,” and defendant, like all motorists, is presumed to know the law.  To ensure that license suspensions meted out pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:5-31 are imposed in a reasonably fair and uniform manner, so that similarly situated defendants are treated similarly, the Court today defines the term “willful violation” contained in N.J.S.A. 39:5-31 and enunciates sentencing standards to guide municipal court and Law Division judges

Careless driving Careless driving 39:4-97 requires the State to provide the vehicle was operated by the defendant carelessly or without due caution and circumspection, in a manner so as to endanger, or be likely to endanger, a person or property
  KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500

DWS- Driving While Suspended

NJSA 39:3-40 Driving While Suspended in New Jersey DEFENSES Call Kenneth Vercammen for representation 732-572-0500
More info at www.njlaws.com/driving_on_a_suspended_license.htm Thousands of motorists in New Jersey are stopped for routine traffic violations, then are surprised to be informed their license is suspended. Where the minimum costs would be $1,261 in fines, surcharge and costs, motorists need an attorney with knowledge and skill in handling Driving While Suspended (DWS) matters. Over the past decade Municipal Court practice has diversified requiring the need for crafted trial counsel to provide adequate representation for clients concerning both disorderly persons and motor vehicle offenses. Although this may seem like a hopeless situation at first, the reality is that it offers an attorney the opportunity to be creative in finding possible ways to avoid a prolonged license suspension and even the possible incarceration of the client. The violation of DWS is set forth at NJSA 39:3-40. This section states, "no person to whom a drivers license has been refused or whose driver's license or reciprocity privilege has been suspended or revoked or who has been prohibited from obtaining a driver's license, shall personally operate a motor vehicle during the period of refusal suspension, revocation or prohibition." The statute also prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle whose registration has been revoked.
PENALTIES Conviction under this statute brings the following penalties: Upon conviction of the first offense of a fine of $500.00, the defendant will also be surcharged a mandatory $250.00 per year for 3 years in every DWS by the MVC (formerly DMV); Upon conviction for the second offense a fine of $750.00 and imprisonment in the county jail for 1 - 5 days; Upon conviction for the third offense, a fine of $1000.00 and imprisonment in the county jail for 10 days. Additionally, the statute states, that upon the conviction the court shall impose or extend a period of suspension not to exceed 6 months. If DWS and involved in an accident resulting in personal injury to another person, the court shall impose a period of imprisonment for not less than 45 days.
If an individual violates this section while under suspension under 39:4-50 (DWI), they shall be fined $500.00 extra and have their license suspended for an additional period not less than one year nor more than two years and mandatory county jail for 10 - 90 days. If suspended for Failure to Pay a Surcharge, there is an extra $3000.00 fine.
KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. EDWARD HOLLAND A-0315-15T4

 STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. EDWARD HOLLAND 

A-0315-15T4 

The court examines defendant's challenge to denial of post-conviction relief because the trial judge had been his attorney in more than one matter seventeen years earlier. Although the trial record contained no mention of the judge's prior representation and does not definitively show the trial judge actually remembered defendant was his former client, testimony before the PCR court confirms the State and defense counsel were informed the judge had served as defendant's private counsel. The court rejects the PCR judge's conclusion to deny PCR suggesting counsel's decision not to seek recusal represents a "valid trial strategy," which cannot be second-guessed. 

Reviewing the newly revised Code of Judicial Conduct, specifically Canon 3.17, which mandates disqualification for a period of seven years following the conclusion of that representation and recognizes "disqualification for a period of time in excess of seven years from the conclusion of the representation may be required in certain circumstances." The court reasoned the necessity of preserving the integrity of impartiality and avoiding all appearances of impropriety must be paramount. The court concluded prejudice envelops the entire process by casting doubt and leaving the lingering question of whether a trial judge's familiarity favored a defendant, or conversely, caused a trial judge to overcompensate so as not to reflect an appearance of bias. The court held when an instance arises where a judge previously represented a criminal defendant, the prior representation and relationship shall be clearly stated on the record, and the judge then be disqualified from proceeding in the matter. 

State v. Shaquille A. Nance; State v. Taja L. Willis Bolton; State v. Alvin D. Williams (A-47/48

 State v. Shaquille A. Nance; State v. Taja L. Willis 

Bolton; State v. Alvin D. Williams 

(A-47/48/49-15; 076626) 

Section 6.2 was misapplied in defendants’ sentencing proceedings and therefore defendants should be resentenced. The assignment judge, not the sentencing judge, has the authority to decide whether a defendant will be sentenced to a term of probation or a term of incarceration with a one-year period of parole ineligibility. If the defendant has been convicted of a first-degree or second-degree Graves Act offense, the assignment judge (or designee) must consider the presumption of incarceration prescribed by N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(d) when he or she chooses between the probationary and one-year mandatory minimum sentences envisioned by section 6.2. 

State v. Kassey Benjamin (A-43-15;

 State v. Kassey Benjamin (A-43-15; 076612) 

Defendants are not entitled to discovery of the prosecution’s files for cases in which Graves Act waivers have been granted to other defendants. 

Expungement NJ

New Expungement Law permits petitions for Expungement of arrests in shorter time periods.
      This is an excellent law to help non-violent offenders. Don’t be denied a job, credit or barred from coaching based on an old criminal charge.
This new law establishes new expungement procedures for records and information pertaining to crimes and offenses, including procedures for persons who are, or previously have been, successfully discharged from the State’s special probation drug court program.  It also provides shorter waiting periods before certain records and information become expungeable.
You can now get expungements for both the crime and the disorderly persons convictions.
The new law took effect April 18, 2016.
The time period for expunging a Municipal Court criminal charge may be reduced to 3 years if you can show exception circumstances. Otherwise it stays 5 years.
      Regarding a person with a criminal conviction, that person would be permitted to make an application with an expungement petition to the Superior Court in the county in which the criminal conviction was adjudged.  The application could include additional, separate petitions seeking to expunge no more than two other convictions for disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offenses.  The application could only be filed after the expiration of five years from the date of the person’s most recent conviction, payment of fine, satisfactory completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, for the crime or for any disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense, whichever is later (the waiting period under current law for a criminal conviction expungement is ordinarily 10 years).  Alternatively, the court could grant an expungement on the application if less than five years has expired from the payment of any fine but the five-year waiting period is otherwise satisfied, and the court finds that the person substantially complied with any payment plan for that fine or could not do so due to compelling circumstances.KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2053 Woodbridge Ave.
Edison, NJ 08817
(Phone) 732-572-0500

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. MARCUS PERKINS A-4065-14T3

 STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. MARCUS PERKINS 

A-4065-14T3 

The Post-Conviction Relief (PCR) Judge determined that defendant's requested appeal was not filed, but declined to accord relief. Following State v. Jones, 446 N.J. Super. 28, 34-35 (App. Div.), certif. denied, ___ N.J. ___ (2016), the court reversed, holding that a PCR judge has the authority to provide a forty-five-day period to file an appeal where ineffective assistance of counsel caused the failure to file a requested appeal. 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JAMES DENMAN A-5329-14T1

STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. JAMES DENMAN 

A-5329-14T1 

In this case, we conclude the prosecutor and trial judge erroneously applied the presumption of PTI ineligibility to defendant's pending charge of third-degree attempted misapplication of funds from the Scotch Plains Police Athletic League (PAL), N.J.S.A. 2C:21-15 and 2C:5-1. Defendant, a Scotch Plains police officer, also served as the PAL treasurer. Faced with a financial crisis, he improperly borrowed $18,000 from PAL, but repaid the loan with interest four months later. The following month, the prosecutor learned of the loan and charged defendant. The prosecutor rejected defendant's PTI application, concluding defendant's unauthorized use of PAL's funds constituted a "breach of the public trust," contrary to PTI Guideline 3(i), because "defendant, a police officer, was Treasurer" of PAL, "an organization with a goal of uniting the local police and the local community through youth sports programs." Defendant appealed his PTI denial to the Law 

Division, which also concluded defendant committed a breach of the public trust. We reverse, concluding the record does not show a breach of public trust, and remand for the prosecutor to consider defendant's PTI application ab initio.