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State v RJ, Passaic County Superior Court
In State v. RJ, Clifford E. Lazzaro, P.C. successfully defended a client in a high-stakes criminal case involving allegations of sexual assault against two minor children, ages five and six. The defendant was arrested in March 2012 and later indicted on multiple second- and third-degree charges, which carried the risk of Megan’s Law registration and parole supervision for life (PSL).
The State offered multiple plea deals, all involving prison time and lifetime supervision. With support from counsel, the defendant rejected every offer and chose to exercise his constitutional right to a trial.
Suppression Motion Undermined the State’s Case
As the trial approached in late 2019, Lazzaro filed a motion to suppress the out-of-court statements made by the alleged victims under NJ Rule of Evidence 803(c)(27), which governs hearsay exceptions involving child victims under the age of 12. He also filed a separate motion to block the State’s attempt to introduce prior evil acts under NJRE 404(b), which would have significantly prejudiced the trial.
These pretrial motions directly challenged the reliability and admissibility of the State’s key evidence.
Case Resolved With No Prison Time, No Megan’s Law
In November 2019, during the middle of evidentiary hearings, the State offered a drastically reduced plea deal. The defendant pled guilty to a fourth-degree child neglect charge under Title 9:6-1 (a non-Megan’s Law offense) with a recommendation of six months in county jail. In January 2020, Judge Adam E. Jacobs sentenced the defendant to time served, allowing him to avoid state prison, sex offender registration, and lifetime parole.
Defense for Sex Crime Allegations in New Jersey
If you’re facing false or exaggerated sex crime accusations, you need experienced legal representation that can challenge the evidence before trial. Clifford E. Lazzaro provides strategic defense against serious criminal charges.
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