Charged With Possession of a Fake ID in Belmar New Jersey
The criminal defense lawyers at our firm have the skilled to help you defend a fake id charge in Belmar New Jersey.If you were charged with possession or use of false identification (a.k.a. Fake ID) such as a driver’s license in Belmar, the lawyers at our firm have the experience and skill to ensure you avoid a conviction. Our attorneys have successfully represented hundreds of individuals arrested while attempting to purchase alcohol or enter popular bars like the Boathouse, D’Jais, Bar Anticipation and 9th Avenue Pier over the last several decades. The qualifications and accomplishments of our defense team in defending individuals just like you are certainly remarkable in terms of not only Monmouth County law firms but also those in the entire state. We possess rare credentials that include:
- A team of ten (10) attorneys whose practice is dedicated exclusively to representation of individual facing criminal and other offenses
- Over 200 years of combined experience defending fake ID, disorderly conduct, obstructing the administration of law, trespass and similar charges in Belmar Municipal Court
- Several former Monmouth County municipal prosecutors, including one who has presided over cases in Belmar and Lake Como Municipal Court prior to its dissolution
- Former Monmouth County Prosecutors, including the Former Director of Major Crimes, the Juvenile Division and the entire Trial Division
- Certified criminal trial attorneys, a distinction held by less than 2% of those licensed in the state
- A long history of acquittals in representing clients charged with possession or use of a counterfeit driver’s license or other form of fake Id
Don’t strap yourself with a potentially permanent criminal record by underestimating the severity of a Belmar fake Id charge. Our defense attorneys can help you escape a conviction and the penalties that apply under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-15. Contact our Belmar Office at (732) 681-0080 for a free consultation with a lawyer at our firm anytime 24/7.
Belmar Fake ID Offense For Using or Possessing a Forged or Counterfeit Driver’s License or Other Identification
Several bars in Belmar and Lake Como are so keenly aware of efforts of underage individuals to gain entry with fake identification that they routinely hire the Belmar Police to set up details at their entrances. These officers work with bar employees to flag and then charge those who attempt to use a forged or fake Id or the Id of another person to enter the bar. There are two ways that you can run into an issue when this happens. The first way you can run into trouble is by being charged under N.J.S.A. 2C:28-7 (“tampering with public records or information”) for: (1) making a license or other Id; or (2) presenting or making driver’s license. In this regard, subsection a(2) makes it a third degree crime, a felony, for someone to make, present or use a document that they know is false for the purpose that it be taken as a genuine. When there is no intention to defraud, this conduct is reduced to a disorderly persons offense.
The second way an individual can commit a criminal offense involving false identification is to commit identity theft in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-17.2. This NJ law makes it a second degree crime punishable by 5-10 years in prison, to knowingly exhibit or display a government issued document typically used to verify someone’s age or other personal identifying information (e.g. a driver’s license). This same law reduces the severity of this charge to a disorderly person offense, a misdemeanor, if identity theft is committed to being committed “to illegally purchase an alcoholic beverage or for using the personal identifying information of another to misrepresent his age for the purpose of obtaining tobacco or other consumer product”.
Although impersonating another person is a second degree crime under 2C:21-17.2, the law carves out an exception when the identification is being used to illegally purchase alcoholic beverages or tobacco by someone under the legal age to do so. The charge is a disorderly persons offense when this exception applies, such as where someone under twenty-one (21) uses a fake ID to gain access to a local bar or club in Belmar.
Penalties for Belmar Fake ID Charges
The Belmar Municipal Court has limited jurisdiction to preside over criminal cases involving disorderly persons offenses. You face a fine of up to $1,000 and incarceration at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute for up to 6 months if you are convicted of violating either N.J.S.A. 2C:28-7 or N.J.S.A. 2C:21-17.2 for possessing or using a fake Id. There is also a significant collateral consequence of pleading or being found guilty, namely, a criminal record that will create a blemish that can negatively impact your ability to secure employment, a professional license or even maintain legal immigration status in the United States.
Fake ID Offense in Belmar NJ
As you can see, you will have a record if you are convicted for possessing or using a fake driver’s license in Belmar. This can cause serious issues in obtaining employment or otherwise passing a background check. It is clearly very important that you obtain a skilled Belmar criminal defense lawyer if you are facing this charge as you have your entire life ahead of you. Our Belmar Office can assist you in averting any record and this is a benefit that you cannot afford to lose. So call one of our fake ID defense lawyers now at 855-450-8310 for a free consultation.
