An Englewood man was recently arrested for spitting at a Bergenfield police officer. The suspect was previously arrested for breaking into boats and taking them for joy rides. These boats were located near the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River. He was released from jail on that case back on July 16, 2020.
The suspect was caught with marijuana in the back of an elementary school. While he was being detained he began resisting arrest. When the Bergenfield police finally got him into a police officer’s car, he began to bang his head and spit at one of the Bergenfield police officers.
Aggravated Assault Lawyers in Bergenfield
If you or a loved one is facing an aggravated assault charge, 2C:12-1b, it is a serious criminal charge. The defendant above will likely be charged with an aggravated assault. Typically, spitting in another individual’s face is considered a simple assault. However, when a person commits a simple assault on a police officer, it is upgraded to aggravated assault. Thus, a defendant quickly looks at facing what was a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor) and now is an indictable (felony) just because the alleged victim was a police officer.
Specifically, an Aggravated Assault (2C:12-1b) is when a defendant:
- Attempts to cause serious bodily injury to someone else, OR does cause a serious injury purposefully or knowingly or under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life;
- Attempts to cause or purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to someone else with a deadly weapon (handgun, knife, baseball bat);
- Recklessly causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon,
- Knowingly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life points a firearm, at or in the direction of someone else;
- Commits a simple assault upon:
- Any law enforcement officer acting in the performance of his duties while in uniform or exhibiting evidence of his authority or because of his status as a law enforcement officer
Aggravated assault on a police officer is usually a fourth (4th) degree crime. If convicted of a fourth degree aggravated assault, you can be sent to prison for a period eighteen (18) months. You can also be fined up to $10,000.00. However, if the officer suffers bodily injury, it’ll be upgraded from a fourth degree indictable to a third (3rd) degree indictable. A third degree carries up to five (5) years in state prison, and up to a $15,000.00 fine.
Our office is ready to fight your case. If you’re looking for an Englewood criminal lawyer, look no further since our office is conveniently located at 530 Main Street, Suite 205, Fort Lee, NJ. Moreover, at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, we have ten (10) criminal defense attorneys, and our credentials include the following:
- Three (3) former assistant county prosecutors
- One was the head of the Major Crimes Division,
- Another was the head of the Trial Team, and
- The last one was the director of the Gun, Gang and Drug Task Force
- One Certified Criminal Trial Attorney
- Certification comes from the Supreme Court of New Jersey
- Less than 1 percent of attorneys in this state hold that distinction
- Selected to the National Trial Attorneys Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorney and Top 40 Under 40
- Multiple attorneys with superb Avvo ratings
- Selected to Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers Rising Stars list here in New Jersey for this year
- Only 2.5 percent of attorneys in this state are selected to this list