Anthony J. Vecchio, Esq.

"If your child has been taken into police custody, charged with a criminal offense, or adjudicated delinquent in New Jersey, I can help. Call now to speak with a New Jersey juvenile lawyer to ensure that your child’s rights are protected and that they are properly defended."

Monmouth County Juvenile Lawyer (Freehold)

Juveniles living in Monmouth County who are charged with criminal offenses will have their cases heard at the Monmouth County Superior Court. My main office is in Freehold, just minutes from the courthouse. Call now to speak with a Monmouth County juvenile lawyer.

The Monmouth County Superior Court is located at 71 Monument Park, Freehold, NJ 07728. The main phone number is (732) 677-4300.

Juvenile cases are heard in the Family Part. Currently, there is only one juvenile court in the Monmouth County Family part. The presiding judge in the juvenile court is the Honorable Eugene A. Iadanza, J.S.C. Questions regarding appearing in the Freehold juvenile court can be addressed to (732) 677-4096. The assignment judge in Monmouth County is the Honorable Lawrence M. Lawson, J.S.C.

In some serious cases, the prosecutor’s office may attempt to have the juvenile treated as an adult. This is known as the waiver process. Your defense attorney can fight against waiver. In general, for a juvenile to be waived to adult criminal court, the offenses must be extremely serious. In cases where the juvenile has a long history of even minor charges the state may also argue that the juvenile will not respond to rehabilitation.

Common juvenile offenses in Monmouth County include:

  • Assault
  • Burglary
  • CDS possession
  • Drug possession
  • Eluding
  • Harassment
  • Marijuana Possession
  • Obstructing the Administration of Law
  • Sex Offenses
  • Shoplifting
  • Theft
  • Trespassing

I represent juvenile delinquents accused of criminal offenses from towns including: Manalapan, Marlboro, Englishtown, Freehold, Howell, Millstone, Upper Freehold, Allentown, Matawan, Aberdeen, Tinton Falls, Colts Neck, Neptune, Asbury Park, Keansburg, Keyport, Middletown, Red Bank, Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Hazlet, Holmdel, Rumson, Fair Haven, Farmingdale, Wall Township, Belmar, Spring Lake, Long Branch, West Long Branch, Eatontown, Oceanport, Ocean Township, Allenhurst, Loch Arbor, Avon, Bradley Beach, Bay Head, and Deal.

Each of these charges has specific elements that must be met in order for your child to be found guilty. There are defenses to each of these charges. Plea bargaining is allowed in juvenile cases as in adult cases. It may also be possible to have your child’s case diverted from the court system.

To be adjudicated delinquent for any of these offenses, the juvenile must either plead guilty or be found guilty after trial. Juveniles currently do not have the right to a jury trial in New Jersey. Only a few states do provide this right. Many of these will only allow a juvenile jury trial in situations where the juvenile faces a consequence of an adult dynamic. Instead, if you decide that your child should go to trial, the trial will be before only the judge.

The prosecution has the burden to prove the charges against your child beyond a reasonable doubt. This is a very high standard. Much of a criminal defense attorney’s job is to spotlight this reasonable doubt for the judge. In Monmouth County, the prosecution of juveniles is charged to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office’s Family Division has the responsibility to prosecute juvenile delinquency cases. The Family Division is made up of a director. The director is aided by assistant prosecutors and other support staff. The prosecutor’s office has its own investigators and detectives. The Family Division is one of the largest teams in the Prosecutor’s Office. Nearly 4,000 juveniles are prosecuted by the Family Division every year in Monmouth County.

I have experience dealing with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Family Division and in appearing before the Monmouth County juvenile court. Call now to speak with a Monmouth County Juvenile Lawyer.