Local Justice: Decisions in Municipal Court

In State v. Giovani Betances of New York, the State charged Betances with falsely using a credit card, which had been stolen by someone else from The Mall at Short Hills. He pleaded guilty to the charge. The Court imposed a fine of $750, $200 for the public defender fee, $33 in court costs, a $50 VCCO penalty and a $75 safe neighborhood fee.

In State v. Chung Lee of Avenel, the State charged Lee with shoplifting a $515 Louis Vuitton belt and also receiving stolen property. He pleaded guilty to the shoplifting charge; and stolen property charge was dismissed because he produced a receipt for those items. The Court imposed a fine of $500, $33 in court costs, a $50 VCCO penalty and a $75 safe neighborhood fee.

In State v. Dorothy Isler of Newark, the State charged Isler with shoplifting $130 of clothing from Macy’s. She pleaded guilty to the charge. The Court imposed a fine of $500, $33 in court costs, a $50 VCCO penalty and a $75 safe neighborhood fee.

In State v. John Carr and Richard Hagermann, both of Short Hills, the State charged each with possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and also charged each with possession of drug paraphernalia. The first charge resulted in a conditional discharge and a term of one-year probation; the second charge will be dismissed for each man if each satisfactorily completes a one-year probation term on the first charge. In addition to the one-year term of probation, the Court also imposed upon each a $500 DEDR (Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction) fee, $33 in court costs, a $50 VCCO penalty, a $75 safe neighborhood fee and a $75 conditional discharge fee.

In State v. Andrew Horowitz of Short Hills, the State charged Horowitz with possession of alcohol while underage. He pleaded guilty to the Township ordinance prohibiting possession of alcohol in a park and the initial charge was dismissed. The Court imposed a $256 fine and $33 in court costs.

In a separate incident, State v. Shayon Tafreshi, the State charged Tafreshi of Short Hills with possession of alcohol while underage. He pleaded guilty to the Township ordinance prohibiting possession of alcohol in a park and the initial charge was dismissed. The Court imposed a $256 fine and $33 in court costs.