Criminal Defense

Experienced Hackensack Criminal Defense Lawyers Representing NJ Clients

One mistake or lapse in judgment should not define your entire life. But without the proper criminal defense team on your side, a simple DUI, drug charge or violent crime could cost you thousands of dollars, jeopardize your livelihood and/or lead to prison time. NJ criminal defense attorney Frank T. Luciano is here to make sure that does not happen to you. With over 40 years of experience and many cases won for his clients, your future and your freedom could not be in better hands.

Mr. Luciano is an accomplished defense lawyer with extensive trial experience throughout all areas of NJ, including Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties. No matter what kind of charge you are facing, no matter how severe or how many prior offenses you have, Mr. Luciano’s unrivaled combination of experience, expertise and toughness will put you in the best position to avoid extensive jail time and hefty fines. Most importantly, he will keep your name and your record clean.

Criminal Defense Attorneys in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson Counties

One of the most common and most damaging errors people make when they are accused or charged with a crime is waiting too long to seek legal representation. When your freedom is on the line, every single second counts. Mr. Luciano is prepared to represent you in a wide range of criminal cases, including those that involve:

Frank T. Luciano’s four decades of experience means there’s virtually nothing he hasn’t seen and no type of case he hasn’t won. Whether you need to avoid jail time, lower your fines or reduce your charges, there’s no better criminal defense attorney for the job than Mr. Luciano. He has helped countless people in your situation avoid ruining their lives. You are invited to be Mr. Luciano’s next success story.

Collateral Penalties Assosciated with Drug Penalties in Paramus, New Jersey

If you are convicted of a drug offense in New Jersey, apart from the potential of a jail term and a harsh fine, there are other serious consequences. Some of those consequences follow:

  • Your parole or probation terms will probably be revoked.
  • If you are a resident-alien or an illegal alien, deportation can result,
    even if the conviction is for a disorderly persons offense.
  • You will lose the right to vote.
  • You will lose the right to sit on a federal jury.
  • You will be disqualification from accepting a position of responsibility in a labor organization or employee benefit plan.
  • Your passport will be forfeited, if the drug-related offense occurred while crossing international boundaries.
  • You will loss the right to possess a firearm or denied the opportunity to purchase one.
  • You may receive an undesired discharge from the military.
  • Your driver’s license will be suspended for not less than 6 months nor more than 2 years. (This penalty may be avoided if you can show a specific hardship and it can be established that there is no alternative means of transportation available).
  • Apart from the fines authorized by the New Jersey’s drug statute, there are other financial sanctions, including drug enforcement penalties that can range from $3,000 for a first degree crime to $500 for a disorderly persons offense.
  • For certain defined offenses where the wrongdoer expected to earn a significant profit from a drug transaction, there will be an anti-drug penalty that can be in the amount of $200,000, three times the street value of the CDS, or three times the profits received, which ever is greater.
  • If the government can prove that an asset was purchased with drug-related money or if the source of the money in your bank account is drug-related, those assets will be seized. If a drug transaction occurred in or about your home or vehicle or if there is cash in-hand at the time of the drug-related arrest, this property may also be subject to forfeiture.
  • If a drug transaction occurred in or about leased property, the conviction will be reported to the landlord, who will have the statutory authority to evict you. For a person who lives in a government-sponsored housing project, there is a likelihood of being permanently barred from ever living in any other government-sponsored housing.
  • If you are a public employee, and you are convicted of a drug-related crime, you will lose your job. If the conviction is a disorderly person or petty disorderly persons offense and the offense has nothing to do with the workplace or if the prosecutor recommends a waiver of this statutory requirement and the trial judge approves the waiver a job loss is not required. If this occurs, the employer may not later terminate you because of the drug crime conviction. The employer may still take administrative action against you, however.
  • You can lose federally funded scholarships or federal aid if convicted while in college or graduate school, and that is so, even if the conviction is only a possessory offense. The period of ineligibility is for one year for a first-time offender. A third-time offender will lose this assistance permanently.
  • There may be a loss or limited access to federal benefits, including food stamps and Section 8 housing benefits. Eligibility for certain other federal grants, licenses and contracts may also be affected. These disqualifications may be waived, however, if you participate in a long-term drug rehabilitation program or cooperation with the government in the prosecution of other drug offenders.
  • You may be subjected to a civil lawsuit for any injuries sustained by a person’s use of a CDS you sold or gave to him/her. The claimaint, may be the user, a relative ,or a medical provider who can recover economic damages (i.e. cost of medical treatment, loss of income, etc.), non-economic damages (i.e. pain and suffering, physical or emotional debilitation loss of companionship, etc.) , punitive damages, attorney fees and costs of suit. This remedy applies to all drug dealers, even small ones.
  • A lawyer who has been convicted of distributing a CDS for profit will ordinarily be disbarred. If the offense is a possessory one, his/her license to practice law will be suspended for a period of time.
  • A conviction can be used to enhance or increase a sentence for a subsequent conviction. It may also be used as an element of a crime in a later case.

New Jersey Criminal Defense Experts

The prosecution is crafting a strategy to put you behind bars and/or fine you heavily. Every second wasted is an advantage given to the prosecution, which is the exact opposite of what you want. You need to act right now.

To protect your best interest, you need to hire a criminal lawyer who has long experiences with drug related cases. Frank T. Luciano, Esq., has been defending individuals in drug related cases for over 40 years. He is also a lifetime member of National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Law’s (NORML) Legal Committee. He is also a longtime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. You should visit the Testimonial Section to read what his former clients have said about him.

Mr. Luciano will gather all of the facts and circumstances surrounding your case and create an airtight defensive strategy for you – whether that entails negotiating a favorable plea deal or taking your case to trial. One thing you can be certain of when choosing Mr. Luciano to represent you is that you will get his undivided attention. Unlike many other lawyers in the area who are more concerned with earning money than earning favorable outcomes for their clients, Mr. Luciano does not run a litigation mill and is highly selective in the clients he represents.

If you’re facing a criminal charge in Hackensack, Paterson, Jersey City, Newark, Lodi or anywhere else in NJ, there’s no time to waste. Frank T. Luciano, P.C. is eager to speak with you and to begin discussing your case and a defense strategy to limit the legal recourse. To get started with an initial consultation, contact Mr. Luciano today at 973-471-0004.