The State of New Jersey recently enacted a law which allows criminal defendants in municipal courts to enter into a divisionary program known as the conditional dismissal program. The new program, which allows defendants to avoid jail time for criminal convictions, has also been referred to as “PTI in Municipal Court” because it’s similar to the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program. The PTI program has long been available in Morris County Superior Court for first-time offenders facing indictable felony-level offenses.
In order to qualify for the new conditional dismissal program in New Jersey, a defendant must meet certain basic requirements, which include:
- Defendant is charged with a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense (not domestic violence)
- Defendant has no prior criminal record
- Defendant has never used a diversionary program before (including PTI, conditional discharge, or conditional dismissal)
- Defendant was arrested after January 4, 2014
If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense and you meet the above requirements, you may be eligible for the conditional dismissal program in Morris County, New Jersey. If you do qualify for entry into the program, you will need to plead guilty to the offense, at which point the charges against you will be suspended for one (1) year. Then, as long as you stay out of trouble for a year, the charges will be dismissed at the end of the probationary period. You will be able to avoid jail time and you will have no criminal record.
Beyond that, the record of your arrest can potentially be expunged six (6) months after you successfully complete the conditional dismissal program.
If you have been charged with a crime in Morris County, NJ, speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. For additional information or to learn whether you might qualify for the conditional dismissal program in Morristown, NJ, contact Travis J. Tormey anytime at 201-556-1570.