New Jersey Section 2C:33-14 – Interference with transportation.

Understanding New Jersey’s Law on Interference with Transportation

Interference with transportation is an offense under New Jersey Statutes Title 2C. The New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice 2C § 33-14. This law makes it a crime to purposely, knowingly or recklessly interfere with transportation in certain ways. Let’s take a closer look at what this law covers and the penalties for violating it.

What Activities Does the Law Prohibit?

There are a few main ways that someone can illegally interfere with transportation under this statute:

• Causing bodily injury to another person while interfering with transportation is a 4th degree crime. For example, injuring a bus driver during an altercation on a bus.
• Recklessly interfering with transportation that causes significant property damage is a disorderly persons offense. This could include something like throwing an object at a passing train and damaging it.
• Knowingly boarding a school bus without authorization is a disorderly persons offense.
• Purposely or knowingly entering any place where school bus drivers are required to report (like a bus depot) without authorization is a disorderly persons offense.
• Recklessly interfering with transportation by impeding vehicles, throwing objects at vehicles, or otherwise engaging in activity that presents risk of damage or injury is a petty disorderly persons offense. For instance, throwing rocks off an overpass at moving cars below.

So in summary, the law prohibits interfering with any means of public or private transportation, from buses to trains to planes. The way you interfere and the result determines the severity of the offense.

What Are the Penalties?

Since interference with transportation can be charged as anything from a petty disorderly persons to a 4th degree crime, the potential penalties vary:

• 4th Degree Crime: Can face up to 18 months in jail and fines up to $10,000.
• Disorderly Persons Offense: Up to 6 months in jail and a fine up to $1,000.
• Petty Disorderly Persons Offense: Up to 30 days in jail and a fine up to $500.

In addition to fines and jail time, penalties can also include probation, community service, restitution to victims, and suspension of driving privileges. The punishment imposed will depend on the exact circumstances of the offense and the offender’s criminal history.

Are There Any Defenses?

Like with any criminal charge, there are defenses that a skilled criminal defense lawyer may be able to raise on your behalf if you are charged with interference with transportation:

• Lack of intent: The prosecution must be able to prove you acted purposely, knowingly or recklessly. If your conduct was purely accidental and without wrongful intent, this could defeat the charges.
• Misidentification: If the prosecution cannot conclusively prove you were the person who engaged in the prohibited conduct, the charges should fail. Eyewitness misidentification is a common cause of wrongful convictions.
• First Amendment: Your conduct may be constitutionally protected free speech or expression, rather than criminal interference. Making this argument successfully often depends on the specific facts involved.
• Self-defense: In certain scenarios, you may have been legally defending yourself or others from harm, which serves as a complete defense to criminal charges.
• Intoxication: Evidence that you were involuntarily intoxicated at the time of the incident could potentially negate the intent required to be found guilty.
• Entrapment: If police improperly induced or coerced you into committing an offense you otherwise wouldn’t have, this may defeat the charges.

The viability of any defense depends heavily on the individual circumstances of your case. An experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney can assess the facts and determine if you have grounds to avoid conviction. Never hesitate to explore your options.

What Are the Immigration Consequences?

Any criminal conviction carries potential immigration consequences if you are not a U.S. citizen. The risks vary based on your current status, criminal history, and specific offense. For interference with transportation charges, possible consequences include:

• Removable offense: If charged as a crime of moral turpitude, interference with transportation may render you removable from the U.S.
• Visa revocation: Certain visas can be revoked over criminal offenses, even if you are not technically removable.
• Inadmissibility: A conviction could deem you inadmissible to the U.S. if you travel abroad and attempt to return.
• Ineligibility for citizenship: Most crimes cause you to be ineligible for naturalization for a period of time.
• Detention and deportation: Those in removal proceedings often end up detained by ICE throughout the process. Ultimately, removal from the U.S. is possible.

Immigration law is incredibly complex. Consulting with an experienced immigration attorney is critical whenever facing criminal charges as a non-citizen.