Stephen A. Gravatt, Esq.
Attorney
565 NJ 35
Middletown, New Jersey 07748
(732)-337-7922
Email: pipking@comcast.net
Lake Como Municipal Court Criminal Defense Attorney defends underage drinking establishment-bar patrons on charges of presenting false government documents and/or tampering with public records driver’s license.
Lake Como Municipal Court is held at the Belmar Municipal Court is located at 601 Main Street, Belmar, New Jersey 07719. The telephone number is (732)-681-3893. The fax number is (732)-681-4728. The Court Administrator is Patricia White, CMCA. The Violations Clerks are Arielle Frank and Kelly Connolly. The Judge is Hon. Dennis Lavender, J.M.C.,and the prosecutor is Stephen Scheuler, Municipal Prosecutor. The Court is open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Sessions are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 1:00 P.M..
Stephen A. Gravatt, Esq., has been defending clients charged with the following offenses in Lake Como Borough for thirty (30) years.
One common offense is committed by underage persons who attempt to gain entrance into drinking establishment-bar to consume alcoholic beverages. Defendants show bar personnel identification designed to create the false impression that he or she is 21 years of age. Of course bar personnel are skilled in recognizing identification that is not legitimate. They contact police immediately upon detection of anybody presenting identification that is either a false government document purporting to be a valid form of identification or a document which constitutes tampering with public records such as a driver’s license.
WHAT CRIMINAL OFFENSES HAVE ARE CHARGED FOR USING FAKE I.D. TO GET IN A BAR?
Police usually charge underage individuals with violation of three statutes: N.J.S.A. 2C: 28-7 Tampering With Public Records Or Information; N.J.S.A. 2C:21-2.1 Offenses Involving False Government Documents and Belmar Ordinance 2016-06 Interfering with Lawful Business Enterprise.
N.J.S.A. 2C: 28-7 Tampering With Public Records states that a person commits an offense if he (1) knowingly makes a false entry in, or a false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government for information or record, or required by law to be kept by others for information of the government; (2) Makes, presents, offers for filing, or uses any record, document or thing knowing it to be false and with purpose that it be taken as a genuine part of information or records or referred to in paragraph (1); or (3) Purposely and unlawfully destroys, conceals, removes, mutilates, or otherwise impairs the verity or availability of any such record, document or thing. (b) Grading. An offense under this subsection a is a disorderly persons offense unless the actor’s purpose is to defraud or injure anyone, in which case the offense is a crime of the third degree.
N.J.SA. 2C:21-2.1 Offenses Involving False Government Documents states (1)(c) A person who knowingly exhibits, displays or utters a document or other writing which falsely purports to be a driver’s license, birth certificate or other document issued by a government agency and which could be used as a means of verifying a person’s identity or age or any other identifying information is guilty of a crime of the third degree. A violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:28-7, constituting a disorderly persons offense,…in a case where the person uses the personal identifying information of another to illegally purchase an alcoholic beverage…shall not constitute an offense under this subsection if the actor received only that benefit or service and did not perpetrate any additional injury or fraud on another.
Belmar Borough Ordinance 2016-06 Interference With Lawful Business Enterprise. states It shall be unlawful for any person to, without lawful purpose, unduly interfere with the business operations of any lawful business enterprise conducted upon its property or at its principal place of business, or to cause or to cause any undue expenditure of such business enterprise’s resources thereat, within the Borough of Belmar. Any person found in violation of this section shall be subject to the mandatory fines and penalties as may be provided for herein.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES IF CONVICTED?
The judge may impose monetary fines of up to $1,000.00 for each Count plus possible jail time from zero days up to 180 days plus a criminal record for disorderly persons offense(s) and for CDS-Drug-Marijuana charges a driver’s licdense suspension of up to two (2) years.
DO I NEED TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT ME FOR THESE CHARGES?
Yes. I would recommend it. Money is replaceable. A criminal record is an indelible mark that can take up to five (5) years to expunge. For most college students the prospect of a criminal record is potentially the most damaging consequence and should be avoided if possible. A criminal record may preclude you from securing employment as a school teacher or government official. If you are already employed by government you may be required to forfeit your position. You may be denied a professional license to practice by a professional licensing board. If you are not a United States citizen you may be deported.
During my 30 years defending clients charged with criminal offenses I have helped many clients avoid criminal record, avoid jail time, avoid maximum fines, avoid driver’s license suspension.
If you or your child has been charged with any of these charges I can help if retained.
Please contact me for your free initial consultation and a no nonsense approach to how I can help you.
Stephen A. Gravatt, Esq.
(732)-337-7922
https://www.njdwicriminaldefenseattorney.com
