Children are suggestible. They don't always tell the truth, especially if they think telling another story will keep them from getting into deeper trouble. Sometimes they just haven't developed a vocabulary that allows them to express exactly what they want to say. These issues can have an effect on how sex crime cases involving children develop.
What aspects of my past might be used against me?
New Jersey notable, Thomas Edison, is credited with inventing the light bulb. It didn't happen overnight. Supposedly, it took about 10,000 tries. When asked about that record, he said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Sex offense registration laws can mean layers of jurisdiction
Sex offenses, especially those committed against children, spark social outrage. It's understandable. Such cases are shocking and among the most common dealt with by New Jersey courts. It's easy to see why popular opinion might slant toward taking anyone charged with a sex crime straight to a cell and throwing away the key.
Are lie detector tests reliable or not?
The polygraph machine has been around since the early part of the last century. Despite early claims about how the so-called lie detector could use physiological measurements of a subject to determine if he or she is lying, results have always been questionable. The result is that using results as evidence has faced an uphill climb in the court.
In some sex crime cases, proving intent may not be required
Intent is usually an important element when it comes to prosecuting a case. If the state has evidence that can prove that a defendant clearly intended to commit a crime, it's likely that a more serious charge with more serious penalties will be pursued. Experienced criminal attorneys in New Jersey put this under the heading of the Latin term, mens rea. It means "guilty mind."
Child pornography isn't protected speech in New Jersey law
Obscenities are not protected free speech under the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court made that clear in 1957. What has remained less clear since then is just what can be considered obscene and thus illegal.
