Sex Crimes Attorney

Successfully defended J.A. from Child Endangerment charges within Somerset County. As a 2nd Degree Crime, J.A. was facing five (5) to ten (10) years New Jersey State Prison for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with a BAC of 2x the legal limit with children passengers within in the vehicle. As J.A. was not a U.S. citizen, he also faced serious immigration consequences from such a conviction. He was also facing mandatory jail time as this offense also would have constituted his 7th Driving While Suspended offense. After extensive negotiations with the Prosecutor’s Office Mr. Kessous successfully persuaded the Court and the State to allow him into the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program absent any foundational conviction ordinarily required for a 2nd degree charge as well as an amendment of the Driving While Suspended charge to a charge that allowed for community service as opposed to jail. This gave J.A. a full and fair opportunity to seek a medical remedy to his alcohol issues while simultaneously avoided a criminal conviction that would have been devastating for his family.

Successfully represented T.H. in a Municipal Court in Monmouth County for Possession of Marijuana while at a concert at the PNC Arts Center. While this matter was proceeding, T.H. also was subsequently charged in a separate incident while at the Jersey Shore in Ocean County. T.H. confessed to the possession of the marijuana on both separate occasions. Nonetheless, as a result of extensive motion practice in both towns, respectively, both charges were ultimately dismissed, in their entirety, on procedural technicalities developed by Mr. Kessous. Thus, T.H. was saved from county jail, extensive fines, a criminal record and the humiliating experience of having to provide random urine samples over a period of a year in a probationary program for otherwise 1st time offenders.

Successfully defended E.L. in Essex County for allegations of shoplifting items in an amount that would have constituted a 3rd degree crime. Mr. Kessous was ultimately able to resolve the matter to a mere local ordinance/non-criminal violation of being loud in public and paid a fine of approximately $200.

Successfully defended G.M.B. for a Driving While Suspended violation in a municipal court in Hunterdon County. Despite overwhelming proofs of a 3rd offense, Mr. Kessous was able to persuade the prosecutor, with whom he had developed a friendly professional relationship over a period of a decade, to amend the charge to a mere document violation. As the client was spared a mandatory jail sentence, he was also spared the likelihood of deportation upon his reporting to the jail as a result of his residency status.

Successfully defended K.N. from Child Endangerment charges within Somerset County. As a 2nd Degree Crime, K.N. was facing five (5) to ten (10) years New Jersey State Prison for leaving two children within an inadvertently unlocked car for a few minutes, as one of the children had fallen asleep, while she ran into a store to return some items. As K.N. worked within the school system, she was also facing a permanent restriction from her chosen field of employment from such a conviction. After extensive negotiations with the Prosecutor’s Office and prepared submissions detailing her true kind and caring character as a single mother, Mr. Kessous successfully persuaded the Court and the State to allow her into the Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program absent any foundational conviction ordinarily required for a 2nd degree charge, thus giving K.N. a full and fair opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction.