Credit Card/debit Card Theft

[Sumner]

I appreciate your quick response..can you please explain what the following means? I am really confused..he must appear in court at 9am April 11 for"Intake Processing" and then to appear in front of the Judge at 1.30pm in the afternoon and that this was an indictable offence. I do not understand intake processing and indictable offence. Please help.

Thank you.------------------------- Followup To - We live in NJ.

My son has been accused of stealing his x-girlfriends(either) credit card or debit card and withdrew $40 She went to the police and made the complaint. 5 days later he received a complaint summons in the mail to appear in court. Along with the summons was a letter from the superior court of NJ Criminal Case Management Office stating that he must appear in court at 9am April 11 for"Intake Processing" and then to appear in front of the Judge at 1.30pm in the afternoon and that this was an indictable offence. I do not know what all this means and we do not have money to go hire a lawyer. I would appreciate any information you can give. My son is not a "young kid" he is 30 years old and lives at home and at present unemployed.

[Johnnie]

Hello again,    You must first understand that the court systems in every state are different.  They have different procedures and the names for the various appearence are different.  My state has no such thing called "Intake Processing" but it is probably something like his initial appearance where they charges are read to him and his court date is set.  However as I said in my state the court system does not have an "Intake Processing".  Our first appearance is called just that "Initial appearance".    Indictable offense means that the charge is serious enough to send to the grand jury where the state would seek an indictment.  These are not things that you need to be worried about.  What you should be worried about is seeing that he is represented to he doesn't go to jail.

[Frewyn]

- Patricia,     Regardless of the fact that you cant afford a lawyer.........your son needs to be represented in court.  If he is convicted of this crime he could go to jail, have a criminal record the rest of his life, and his entire life will be changed.  My advice is to tell him to go get an attorney or to ask him to leave.  Sorry its so blunt but he got himself into this and he is 30 years old.