Two men in New Jersey were recently taken into custody for allegedly engaging in criminal activity involving weapons. Specifically, police said they were illegally possessing guns. The men accused of committing gun crimes are ages 18 and 19.
Police reported that they received reports about young men donning black clothes and toting guns. Detectives later spotted around six men who fit this description. When authorities approached the men, the men allegedly fled.
Following a chase on foot, police apprehended a couple of the men. At that time, they reportedly discovered two guns. Police said they then discovered another gun on an area driveway following the two men’s arrests. The two men now face gun possession charges. It was unclear whether these men are connected to the Bloods, a street gang known to be active in the area where the men were taken into custody.
The men accused of committing gun crimes have the right to proceed to trial to fight the charges. At trial, prosecutors must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt before any convictions can be handed down. This high standard exists with the goal of preventing innocent people from being convicted of crimes they did not commit. Rather than going to trial, the men may choose to seek to negotiate plea deals with the prosecution, which may result in lesser charges and thus lighter sentences than what would be imposed following a finding of guilt at trial. An attorney in New Jersey can help a defendant facing gun charges to pursue the most personally favorable outcome given the facts of his or her criminal case.