Am official misconduct charge was brought by the Attorney General’s Office. The defendant is the Chief of Police for Saddle Brook. The official misconduct charge allegedly stems from him using police escorts for his private funeral home business. The police escorts were also used supposedly during the officer’s work hours. Allegedly, this took place from January, 2019 to August, 2020. For now, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is taking over the day to day operations of the Saddle Brook Police Department. The defendant is currently suspended from the police department. In addition to facing a official misconduct charge, the defendant also faces Corruption of Public Resources charge and a Conspiracy charge.

Hackensack Official Misconduct Charge Lawyer

An official misconduct charge, codified under NJ law as 2C: 30-2, is a very serious charge. The law states that:

  • A public servant is guilty of official misconduct when, with purpose to obtain a benefit for themselves or another or to injure or to deprive another of a benefit:
    • a. He/she commits an act relating to his office but constituting an unauthorized exercise of his official functions, knowing that such act is unauthorized or he is committing such act in an unauthorized manner; or
    • b. He/she knowingly refrains from performing a duty which is imposed upon him by law or is clearly inherent in the nature of his office.

An official misconduct charge is usually a second degree crime. This means a defendant faces up to ten years in a state prison, as well as up to $150,000.00 fine. If the value is that was obtained or deprived was less than $200, than it is a crime of the third degree. This is punishable by up to five years in a prison, as well as a fine of up to $15,000.00.

A corruption of public resources is codified under NJ law as 2C:27-12. The law states, in part, that:

  • A person commits the crime of corruption of public resources if, with respect to a public resource which is subject to an obligation to be used for a specified purpose or purposes, the person knowingly uses or makes disposition of that public resource or any portion thereof for an unauthorized purpose.

If the value of the public resource is $500,000 or more, it is a crime of the first degree. A first degree crime carries up to twenty years in a New Jersey state prison. If the value involved is more than $75,000 but less than $500,000, it is a crime of the second degree. If the amount is less than $75,000 than it is a crime of the third degree.

Hackensack Corruption of Public Resources Attorneys

At the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, we have the following credentials and experience:

  • Eleven (11) criminal defense attorneys on staff
    • Combined together, over 200 years of experience
  • Eight (8) former prosecutors on staff
    • Four (4) were former county prosecutors who’ve tried high-profiled murders trials before a jury during their tenure as prosecutors
    • Many held directorial positions during their tenures as former assistant county prosecutors
      • One (1) was the head of the Drug, Gang, and Gun Task force
      • One (1) was the head of the Major Crimes Division
      • One (1) was the head of the Trial team
      • One (1) attorney tried thirty murder cases to verdict, and won every single on of them
    • Three (3) former municipal prosecutors
  • Multiple attorneys selected to either the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 or Top 40 Under 40
  • Two (2) attorneys selected to Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for criminal defense
    • Only 2.5% of attorneys in New Jersey are selected to said list
  • One (1) attorney certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney
    • Less than 1% of attorneys hold this distinction in New Jersey

Please give our office a call if you or a loved one has been charged with a crime at 201-201-0086.