New Jersey Attorney - Constitutional Rights in Criminal Cases
For all cases in the New Jersey Criminal Courts, you have the following rights:
- You have a right to a speedy and public trial.
- You have a right not to be convicted unless the State can prove each and every element of the offense with which you are charged.
- You have the right to confront witnesses against you in person, as well as the right to cross-examine those witnesses.
- You may present evidence in your own behalf and you may testify on your own behalf, but only if you choose to do so.
- You cannot be made to furnish evidence against yourself in the courtroom, and your failure to take the witness stand cannot be used as evidence of your guilt.
- You have additional rights to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures of your person, your home, your possessions and papers, and of your automobile.
- If evidence against you has been obtained in violation of these rights, upon proper motion, that evidence will not be admitted.
- And, most importantly, you have a right to a lawyer to represent you.