Aggressive, Battle-Tested Criminal Lawyer Defends Clients Facing Murder Charges in New Jersey

It almost goes without saying that murder is the most serious crime a person can be charged with in Atlantic City, NJ, and throughout the state. In fact, until 2007, if you were charged and convicted of murder in New Jersey, you could face the death penalty. Today, the maximum sentence a defendant faces, depending on the circumstances of the crime, is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

These charges are serious and require legal representation by the most aggressive, knowledgeable and successful criminal defense attorney you can hire. John W. Tumelty knows your future and freedom is, literally, at stake. A lifetime prison sentence with no possibility of parole is forever. It’s critically important that you contact Mr. Tumelty immediately for a free consultation about your charges. He will talk to you by phone, in person in one of his offices and, if you are incarcerated or hospitalized, he will come to you.

How Does New Jersey Define and View Murder Charges?

According to New Jersey’s Murder Statute (2C:11-3), criminal homicide is considered murder when the defendant causes death purposely and/or knowingly. This statute also covers causing serious bodily injury to another person that results in death. A third definition of murder is when the defendant, either alone or with others, causes someone’s death during the commission or attempted commission of a violent crime such as robbery, sexual assault, arson or kidnapping. This also includes actions taken that result in death as the defendant is fleeing the scene of the crime. N.J.S.2C:11-4 relates to a lesser, but related, charge known as manslaughter.

A person convicted of murder in the 1st Degree faces the possibility of 35 years in prison with no eligibility of parole. Alternatively, a judge can sentence a convicted murderer to a set number of years between 30 and life in prison, of which the defendant must serve 35 years before being eligible for parole in the state of New Jersey.
There are several cases when the convicted murderer can be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, including:

1. when the victim was a law enforcement officer or public servant was killed while performing his or her duties or was murdered because of their status as a police officer or public servant
2. when the victim was under 14 years of age
3. when the defendant has been convicted of another murder at any time in his or her life
4. when the defendant “purposely or knowingly created a grave risk of death to another person in addition to the victim”
5. The murder was “outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind, or an aggravated assault to the victim”
6. The defendant was paid or compensated to commit the murderous act
7. The defendant committed the murder after committing an act of terrorism

John Tumelty Can Raise Several Possible Credible Defenses to Murder in New Jersey

After meeting with you and getting a full understanding of your case, Mr. Tumelty will conduct an exhaustive review of all the evidence against you, with the assistance of the best investigative consultants. He will then determine your best chance of getting you acquitted or getting your murder charges reduced.

If you acted alone, some “absolute defenses to murder” include:

1. You didn’t commit the crime at all, nor did you aid anyone else in committing the crime
2. You were not in possession of a deadly weapon or any object or substance capable of causing death
3. You had no reason or grounds to believe that someone else was armed with a deadly weapon
4. You had no reason or grounds to believe that another person intended to take an action that would result in death

Other viable defenses included in New Jersey law:

• Self defense
• Use of force against an intruder
• Protecting others from an intruder
• Protecting your property
• Intoxication
• You have an alibi
• Contest the identification
• Battered Woman Syndrome
• Insanity
• Evidence of Mental Disease or Defect (Diminished Capacity)

John Tumelty understands that anyone facing criminal charges associated with any violent, first degree crime, is likely scared and confused about what to do next. The possibility of life in prison can be overwhelming, especially for someone who believes they are not guilty of committing murder. He will put every tool at his disposal to work for you as he investigates your case and prepares to fight for your freedom in a court of law.

Contact a Skilled Criminal Defense Lawyer to Fight Your NJ Murder Charges

There are many criminal defense lawyers in Atlantic City, but none with the experience and knowledge that you can expect from John W. Tumelty. He is a former prosecutor who knows how the other side thinks and prepares murder and homicide cases. He will put his experience to work for you as he fights your charges tirelessly.

Mr. Tumelty offers free consultations in his offices in Atlantic City, Somer’s Point and Marmora. He will also speak with you on the phone or meet with you in jail or the hospital. Do not delay in contacting a lawyer who will leave no stone unturned as he fights for your freedom when you are charged with a serious violent crime like murder.