For the third time in a row, fugitives in New Jersey will have the opportunity to surrender themselves, with a chance to possibly clear their warrants and start afresh. The safe surrender program will be held next month in the Somerset section of Franklin Township. Between November 3 and November 6, people in New Jersey with outstanding warrants, for everything from motor vehicle fines to delayed child custody payments, will be able to surrender at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens.
The program isn't solely a law enforcement effort. Rather, it includes the participation of county, state and federal agencies together with local community groups. Officials are expecting at least 2,500 fugitives to turn up at this year’s program. In 2008, a similar program held in Camden saw 2,240 people turning themselves in, and last year in Newark, 4,103 people surrendered.
Most of the people who will be at the safe surrender program likely have warrants for low-level offenses like motor vehicle fines, delayed child support, drug possession and other nonviolent offenses.
It's important to understand that this isn't an amnesty program. In other words, turning up between November 3 and 6 at the premises does not guarantee that your warrant will be overturned. However, you do have a great opportunity to get your warrant cleared, and you can start again on a fresh slate without these old charges interfering with your life. Approximately 98% of the people who turned themselves in during the safe surrender programs did not go to jail.
The New Jersey criminal defense lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman are dedicated to the representation of persons charged with drug crimes, sex crimes, DWI, assault and other crimes across New Jersey.
