The New Jersey arm of the American Civil Liberties Union recently launched The Clemency Project, which the ACLU describes as “an integral part of a larger decarceration vision that centers on racial and social justice.” One of the goals of The Clemency Project is to encourage the state to “leverage the power of clemency to its fullest potential,” particularly for “survivors of domestic violence who are serving sentences impacted by extreme trial penalties.” If you or someone you know is a domestic violence victim who is facing criminal charges, the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can defend and protect your rights throughout the criminal prosecution process. Call us at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to set up a confidential consultation with one of our experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorneys today.     

The Challenges Domestic Violence Victims Face in Criminal Cases 

It is a sad fact, supported by statistics that an unusually high percentage of female inmates in state prisons across the country were victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. For some, the crime that sent them to prison was directly related to the violence that they suffered, for example, when the victim attacked the person who abused them. In other cases, the abuse is less obviously connected to the crime that they were convicted of.  

Depending on the type of survey and its definition of abuse, anywhere from 43% to 94% of women in prison surveyed reported having been the victim of some type of physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives. The conclusion reached by some researchers is that abused women are more likely to be arrested and imprisoned than those who have not been abused and that their past history of abuse has a lot to do with the future likelihood that they will be convicted of a crime. The ACLU's Clemency Project in New Jersey aims to address this by encouraging the state's governor to grant clemency to domestic violence victims who have served a significant portion of their sentences.  

A Strong Defense Can Help Prevent Years of Pain 

One of the goals of The Clemency Project is to help people who “are serving significantly longer sentences” because they rejected plea offers and instead went to trial. This highlights the importance of having experienced and effective representation at every stage of a criminal prosecution in New Jersey. An experienced criminal defense attorney from the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team will help you fight for your rights, understand the charges and evidence against you, and decide how best to defend yourself against those charges.  

The Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team Can Help 

If you are a survivor of domestic or sexual abuse who is facing criminal charges in New Jersey, contact the Lento Law Firm Criminal Defense Team for help. We understand New Jersey's criminal laws and court procedures, and our seasoned criminal defense attorneys regularly interact with prosecutors across the state. We can investigate the charges against you and the evidence that supports them; conduct our own investigations where that may be helpful; use that information and our experience to effectively negotiate with prosecutors to resolve your case; and, where necessary, vigorously defend you at trial.  

Call us today at 888.535.3686 or schedule a confidential consultation using our contact form to learn more about how we can help you protect and defend your rights.