Totowa NJ Criminal Coercion Defense Attorney
Criminal Defense Lawyer Representing Clients in Passaic County, New Jersey
Alissa D. Hascup is a skilled criminal defense lawyer who represents clients throughout Passaic County, New Jersey that have been charged with kidnapping-related offenses, including criminal coercion, abduction, and criminal restraint in Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, Hawthorne, Totowa, and Woodland Park.
She has successfully handled thousands of cases in New Jersey, in both Superior Court (indictable/felony level offenses) and Municipal Court (disorderly persons/misdemeanor level offenses). Ms. Hascup is a former Morris County Assistant Prosecutor, who handled a host of cases, ranging from homicide to terroristic threats, during the course of her distinguished career.
If you or a loved one has been charged with criminal coercion, there could be serious consequences. Contact skilled, experienced criminal defense lawyer Alissa D. Hascup to discuss how she can achieve the best possible result for you.
She is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week for an initial consultation, which is always provided free of charge.
Criminal Coercion in New Jersey: N.J.S.A. 2C:13-5
Criminal Coercion is codified under N.J.S.A. 2C:13-5, which provides:
A person is guilty of criminal coercion if, with purpose to unlawfully restrict another s freedom of action to engage or refrain from engaging in conduct, he threatens to:
1. Inflict bodily injury on anyone or commit any other offense;
2. Accuse anyone of an offense;
3. Expose any secret which would tend to subject any person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or to impair his credit or business repute;
4. Take or withhold action as an official, or cause an official to take or withhold action;
5. Bring about or continue a strike, boycott or other collective action, except that such threat shall not be deemed coercive when the restriction compelled is demanded in the course of negotiation for the benefit of the group in whose interest the actor acts;
6. Testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another s legal claim or defense; or
7. Perform any other act which would not in itself substantially benefit the actor but which is calculated to substantially harm another person with respect to his health, safety, business, calling, career, financial condition, reputation or personal relationships.
Penalties for Criminal Coercion in New Jersey
Criminal coercion is a crime of the fourth degree unless the threat is to commit a crime more serious than one of the fourth degree or the actor s purpose is criminal, in which cases the offense is a crime of the third degree.
A crime of the third degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison.
A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.
This section of our criminal code is very closely related to the crime of Extortion, codified under N.J.S.A. 2C:20-5. The only real difference relates to what the actor is seeking in the case of Extortion, money or property; in the case of Criminal Coercion, a restriction on the freedom of activity of the victim (not necessarily involving money or property).
Contact a Totowa NJ Criminal Coercion Defense Lawyer for Answers
It is important for you to contact a lawyer immediately should you find yourself in a situation where you have been charged with Criminal Coercion. The consequences of a Criminal Coercion conviction are permanent and severe. Alissa D. Hascup can help. Call or email her today for a free consultation about your case.
