The tension between constructive and destructive punishment is an ever present reality in the legal system. Is the aim to condemn and punish poor behavior with no intention of reform, or to guide lawbreakers into a redemptive, productive future? At its best, clemency is an effort to tip the scales in the latter direction, aimed [...]

Last week, we covered when you should and should not call 911. For problems like a loud neighbor, non life-threatening medical symptoms, power outages, vandalism, or public intoxication, DO NOT call 911. As responsible citizens, we can bear the responsibility of resolving some issues ourselves. For other problems, we can call our local police department [...]

According to 911.gov, the number became the official Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in 1968. Two years prior, the National Academy of Sciences published "Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society," a report demonstrating how accidental deaths and injuries had become an epidemic in the United States. By contrast, nowadays people call [...]

We’ve covered blogs about heroin and fentanyl, but there’s another deadly opiate out there: carfentanil. Carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. Although overdose deaths continue to decline nationwide, the battle for our communities and our loved ones continues. Carfentanil is another side of the battle. Here’s a few [...]

We’ve all seen My Cousin Vinny. Joe Pesci’s character, Vincent Gambini, seems to make all the courtroom mistakes. Dressing inappropriately, disrespecting the judge, sleeping, cursing, disrupting procedure – he doesn’t miss one! Eventually, he learns procedure the hard way and (spoiler alert) wins the case. This week’s post is so that you don’t have to [...]

The American criminal justice system seeks to carry out justice both for the victim and the offender. If courts do not honor the victim, or deliver a particularly severe sentence, then justice fails. So, although courts consider sex crimes particularly heinous, they still need to serve justice. Consider the following important information from Mark. W. [...]

In our final post on our series about gun laws and New Jersey, we’re going to cover standard purchases. We’ve already done a post on private sales, however, it's just as important to know the laws surrounding standard purchases at gun retail stores. You’ll find some of this information in our other posts about gun [...]

In our next installment about New Jersey gun laws, we cover state laws regarding transportation of a firearm. Not knowing the law often doesn’t hold up in court as an adequate defense, so it’s important for you to know. Here’s everything you need to know about New Jersey gun laws and transportation. Check out our [...]

So you want to sell one of your guns to one of your buddies. Is it legal? Do I have to do it through a licensed gun store? Who can I not sell it to? For the next few weeks, we will be doing a series on gun laws in New Jersey so that you [...]