The holiday season brings more parties, more travel and more DWI enforcement on New Jersey roads. If you're arrested and asked to give a breath sample, you might assume that saying no protects you. In most cases it doesn't. Refusing a breathalyzer in NJ is a separate offense with its own penalties, and it's often [...]

If you've been charged with something like simple assault, shoplifting or possession of drug paraphernalia, the paperwork may describe it as a disorderly persons offense. New Jersey doesn't use the words "misdemeanor" or "felony" the way most states do, which leaves many people unsure how serious their charge really is. At Catanzaro Law, we explain [...]

Recreational cannabis has been legal in New Jersey since 2021, and dispensaries are now a familiar sight across South Jersey. That has led many people to assume that marijuana can no longer get them into legal trouble. That isn't the case. NJ marijuana laws still draw clear lines around age, amount, driving and where cannabis [...]

Every summer, the same question comes up at backyard barbecues across Burlington and Mercer County: are fireworks legal in NJ? The short answer is some are. Since 2017, New Jersey has allowed adults to buy and use certain sparklers and small ground-based novelty items. Anything that explodes, launches into the air, or shoots a projectile [...]

A conviction can feel like the end of the road, but for many defendants, it isn't. New Jersey law provides a formal process for challenging a conviction or sentence through the appellate courts, and understanding how that process works — and how different it is from a trial — is the first step toward deciding [...]

There are few phone calls more alarming than hearing that your child has been detained or charged by police. In that moment, most parents don't know what happens next, what rights their child has, or how a juvenile case is different from an adult criminal case. Understanding the basics of New Jersey's juvenile justice process [...]

Few areas of New Jersey law move as quickly, or carry consequences as far-reaching, as domestic violence cases. Whether you are seeking protection from an abusive situation or have been accused of domestic violence yourself, understanding how restraining orders work is essential to protecting your rights and your future. Two Types of Restraining Orders New [...]

When people think about evidence in a criminal case, they often picture direct proof such as surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, or a confession. However, many criminal cases are built largely on circumstantial evidence. At Catanzaro Law, we regularly defend clients in cases where the prosecution relies heavily on assumptions and indirect evidence rather than clear, [...]

In many criminal cases, the outcome can depend heavily on what a witness says in court. Jurors often rely on testimony to determine what happened, who was involved, and whether the prosecution has proven its case. Because of this, witness credibility can become one of the most important factors in a criminal trial. At Catanzaro [...]