Advocating For Your Client in NJ Criminal Matters: A Focus on New Jersey's Search and Seizure Law

Advocacy in criminal matters begins when an attorney reads the police reports for a client's case and is able to quickly spot the issues. Did the police come into contact with your client from a motor vehicle stop? Was there a basis for the stop? Did the police walk up to your client on the street? Did the police detain your client? Was there a basis for the detention? Was your client's person searched? Was your client's car searched? Was your client's home searched? Did the police have a warrant for a search?

These and many other questions must be asked and answered by an attorney practicing criminal law in order to provide the most thorough representation of a client. Criminal practice attorneys must be cognizant of the various standards applicable for police-citizen encounters. Practitioners must also be up to date on the most recent case law regarding client rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.

In this course, attorney Tamra Katcher,  will review the basics of police-citizen encounters. She will also review the most recent New Jersey case law on the topic.

After completing this course, attorneys will have a general understanding of the constitutional parameters and requirements of New Jersey search and seizure law and relevant case law. Practitioners will immediately be able to apply this information to their current client cases and to new client cases in the future.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the constitutional parameters and requirements of New Jersey search and seizure law
2. Review recent case law relevant to the search and seizure law, and apply it your clients' cases
3. Understand the basics of police-citizen encounters in New Jersey