Lewdness
Attorneys for Lewdness Charges
The lewdness statute in New Jersey, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-4, was designed to protect all non-consenting persons, but particularly children and the mentally challenged. The penalties are more severe depending on who was victimized by the defendant’s conduct. There will even be instances where no one who witnessed the conduct was non-consenting.
What is Lewdness?
The term lewdness is often described as behavior that is morally suspect or unacceptable in a sexual sense. The act is almost one of those acts where “you know it when you see it” yet is otherwise difficult to define. Under New Jersey law, a “lewd act” includes the exposing of the genitals for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of the actor or of any other person.
What Does the Lewdness Statute Say?
Under New Jersey’s lewdness statute, a person commits a disorderly persons offense if he does any flagrantly lewd and offensive act which he knows or reasonably expects is likely to be observed by other non-consenting persons who would be affronted or alarmed.
The lewd conduct is graded as a fourth degree crime if the actor:
(1) exposes his intimate parts for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of the actor or of any other person under circumstances where the actor knows or reasonably expects he is likely to be observed by a child who is less than 13 years of age where the actor is at least four years older than the child.
(2) exposes his intimate parts for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of the actor or of any other person under circumstances where the actor knows or reasonably expects he is likely to be observed by a person who because of mental disease or defect is unable to understand the sexual nature of the actor’s conduct.
Contact A Lewdness Criminal Defense Attorney
As with any serious charge, never go to court alone. Lewdness charges are not only devastating personally, they can have real consequences for a person’s livelihood and even their freedom. If you have been charged with lewdness, the experienced lewdness defense attorneys at Law Offices of Joseph R. Donahue, LLC would welcome your inquiries. We have helped many people through the procedure and if you contact us immediately, an experienced lewdness defense lawyer from our office will do their best to ensure that your case is handled properly and promptly.
Contact a criminal defense attorney at Law Offices of Joseph R. Donahue, LLC by calling (201) 488-7707.
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