Freehold Law Blog

Anger can lead to police overreactions

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in police brutality on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.

The reason that we feel anger is because it's a natural response. When you feel threatened in some way, anger powers an aggressive and often selfish mindset. For most people, this is a common response even to a mild issue -- like getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work.

The problem for a police officer is when anger leads to an overreaction. An officer who feels angry may lash out at a suspect who has not even been convicted of a crime. This can lead to brutality and assault. In the heat of the moment, the officer may not contain their emotions. It's something everyone needs to learn how to do, but an officer who can't do it could end up violating someone's rights.

Domestic violence allegations: a serious threat to your future

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

Allegations of domestic abuse are serious, even if you know they are not true. This is why it is important for you to take your case seriously, if you find yourself dealing with this type of allegation. There is a lot at stake, and it is in your interests to move quickly to defend yourself.

Domestic abuse is serious, but in some cases, these accusations come from one partner against the other as a way to enact revenge, take out frustration or win a domestic dispute. While it is often just one person's word against another, these accusations have a very real effect on your custody rights and other things. It can also significantly damage your personal reputation and what other people think of you.

Red-light running allegedly leads to accident

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

A serious accident in New Jersey recently happened because, police allege, one of the drivers ran a red light.

The crash took place on Sunday, Jan. 5, right around 7:00 p.m. It happened on Route 70, in Brick Township, and involved a 24-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman.

Why does workers' compensation get denied?

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

You get injured and file for workers' compensation. You feel like you should get it. You clearly cannot work while you recover, and you have serious medical bills to consider.

However, your claim gets denied. The first step to take is to figure out why it happened. Here are some of the most common reasons:

The passage of time could lead to DWI charges

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in dwi on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

In most cases, police officers try to give you a breath test as soon as they suspect that you are under the influence. They may have you do field sobriety tests first, or they may just talk to you and then administer the test.

However, this isn't always possible. An officer may not have a test with them. They could determine that the test they do have is not working properly. They may want to take you to the station to do a different type of test, like a blood test. They may have other things to worry about -- maybe you got into an accident -- and put off giving out the test.

What does a safe following distance really look like?

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in motor vehicle accidents on Friday, November 29, 2019.

As a general rule, the rear car is always said to be at fault when hitting the back end of another vehicle. The idea is that every driver is supposed to leave enough space ahead of them that they can stop in an emergency. This is known as a safe following distance.

There are exceptions to this rule, but it usually holds up. The key, then, is to understand what a safe following distance really looks like. A lot of people underestimate how much space they need.

Did police have reasonable suspicion to initiate a DUI stop?

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger on Friday, November 15, 2019.

When you saw those flashing lights in your rearview mirror, you probably had a bit of a panic attack just like most people would. You pulled over and prepared to ask the officer what you did wrong, but first, you put some gum in your mouth and wondered if the officer would notice that you had a couple of drinks with dinner.

Law enforcement officers can only stop your vehicle if reasonable suspicion exists that you committed a crime or are committing a crime. But what does that mean?

Police officers should attempt to de-escalate a situation

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in police brutality on Monday, November 11, 2019.

It seems that, all too often, police officers rush to take aggressive action to resolve a situation. They see everything as a conflict. They may even escalate tensions as they try to get people to comply.

This is the wrong approach, some experts claim, saying that officers should focus instead on de-escalation. They should try to defuse a dangerous and potentially violent situation. They should see what they can do to make it less likely that they need to use force.

After man's suicide, woman charged with manslaughter

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in criminal defense on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

A man from New Jersey passed away by suicide on the very day he was supposed to be graduating from Boston College. Now his girlfriend has been accused of manslaughter and linked to the death.

According to reports, the young woman was allegedly very controlling, and she was "physically, verbally and psychologically abusive" to the young man. The two of them dated for about a year and a half. Over the last few months, the relationship appeared to fall apart.

You do not have to do blatantly dangerous work

On behalf of Kelly Watson of The Law Office of Mallon & Tranger posted in workers' compensation on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.

Hopefully, you will never be put into a position at work where you are asked to do something you think is incredibly dangerous. If you are, though, do you have to do it? Your boss is in charge, so you probably feel a lot of pressure to just swallow your fears and get the work done.

Here's the reality: You do not have to subject yourself to that type of danger. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that you can refuse the job if:

You asked your employer to make the job safer by eliminating the risk, and they could not or would not do so.
You recognized a clear, imminent danger and you refused the job "in good faith."
The danger is so obvious that you're not the only one claiming there is a risk. A reasonable third party would back up your claims. For instance, if an OSHA inspector examined the site, they would quickly spot and agree with the danger.
You can't ask for an inspection from OSHA because you do not have time to do so.

A Law Firm Where Results Matter