2053 Woodbridge Avenue - Edison, NJ 08817

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

E706 VercammenLaw News

 

E706 VercammenLaw News

1 Police could do short inventory search at the scene of impounded DWI car 

  2 Making  Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) report itself not auto grounds for DV

3 Happy 4th of July!

4. Ken Vercammen’s wedding photo July 8, 1989

5 Reminders Happy Hour at Headliner Club in Neptune on August 2 Friday at 6pm

  6 Estates with IRA accounts

1 Police could do short inventory search at the scene of impounded DWI car  

1 Recent cases

 State v Courtney 478 N.J. Super. 81 (Law Div. 2024

   In State v. Witt, our Supreme Court held police cannot conduct a search pursuant to the automobile exception to the warrant requirement once a vehicle has been towed away and impounded. 223 N.J. 409, 448-49 (2015). John's Law generally requires police to impound a vehicle for at least twelve hours when the driver is arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). This case addresses the novel question of whether police may conduct a search under the automobile exception when they are required to impound a vehicle pursuant to John's Law, but the vehicle has yet to be removed from the scene of the stop. A-3844-22 published

The trial judge suppressed a handgun found under the front passenger seat, reasoning that because the officers were required to impound the vehicle, they were also required to obtain a search warrant even though the search occurred roadside. After considering the plain text and rationale of Witt, the court reverses the suppression order, holding the inherent exigency justifying a warrantless search at the scene continues to exist so long as the detained vehicle remains at the location of the stop. The court reasons the inherent exigency is not abated by the fact the vehicle will eventually be removed from the scene. Nor is such exigency abated when the decision is made to remove the vehicle, regardless of whether the decision is made in the exercise of police discretion or in compliance with a statutory impoundment mandate.  

The court concludes the authority to conduct an automobile-exception search lapses only after the vehicle has been removed to a secure location, not in anticipation of such removal. So long as police satisfy the foundational requirements of probable cause, spontaneity, and unforeseeability, a contemporaneous on-the-spot search is permitted regardless of the ultimate disposition of the vehicle. Accordingly, the court declines to create a new bright-line rule making vehicles subject to John's Law categorically ineligible for an on-scene search under the automobile exception. Published A-3844-22

  2 Making  Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) report itself not auto grounds for DV 

 E.W. v. W.M.-H., 476 N.J. Super. 433 (Law Div. 2023) 

      The question presented to the trial court was whether the immunity statute relating to DCPP referrals found at N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.13 confers immunity to DCPP referrals made with the intent to harass a victim of domestic violence as defined under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, N.J.S.A. 2C:25-17 to -35.   

     There was no prior precedent resolving this issue. In harmonizing the two statutes, the trial court found that it would be contrary to legislative intent to confer immunity in the realm of domestic violence as that would permit the weaponization of DCPP referrals as a means of perpetrating domestic violence.

This matter arose out of an application for a final restraining order under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act. At the conclusion of the trial, the only predicate act surviving was the act of calling DCPP to report allegations of abuse in order to harass the victim. The trial court noted that the Legislature intended to protect children as the primary purpose in enacting the immunity statute regarding DCPP referrals. 

Additionally, N.J.S.A. 2C:25-18 expressly provides that children can suffer emotionally from the exposure to domestic violence, and that children may also be a victim of domestic violence. Thus, the trial court concluded that the application of the DCPP immunity statute to allegations of harassment under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Acts fails as a matter of law under the doctrine of absurdity. Even though the trial court found that the defendant committed the predicate act of harassment by making reports to DCPP, the trial court ultimately found that the plaintiff failed to satisfy the second prong of Silver v. Silver, 387 N.J. Super. 112 (App. Div. 2006), and denied the application for a final restraining order. FV-07-2446-22


3 Happy 4th of July!

Lexi Dog running with RVRR Raritan Valley Road Runners

4. Ken Vercammen’s wedding photo July 8, 1989

The Groomsmen at wedding July 8, 1989 were:

Front Row: Jim Watt, Cynthia Vercammen, Ken Vercammen, Chris Knigge

Middle row: John Bachenski, Mike Sydor, Mike Brennan

Back row: Jim McGreevey [was NJ Governor], Steve Vercammen

  We still look the same in 2024, maybe a touch of grey.


5 Reminders Happy Hour at Headliner Club in Neptune on August 2 Friday at 6pm.   

  Clients, Friends, Professionals  and friends invited.

 RSVP please email VercammenLaw@Njlaws.com

    Outdoor & Indoor music, prize giveaways. Bring your friends. Pass this along. Please bring a canned food donation for St. Matthews Edison Foodbank. Also Celebrating Ken’s 65thbirthday.


Headliner is located at 1401 Route 35, Neptune NJ, 07753 with a 2nd floor view of the Shark River.  

       Co-sponsored by several Professional groups, Chambers of Commerce and civic organizations     Free event!     

Ken Vercammen will buy a drink for all registered ahead.

     Headliner requires attendees be submitted one day ahead. Email Ken Vercammen's Law Office so we can put your name on the VIP list for wristbands.   

More details at https://www.facebook.com/events/906077377984376

All over 21 invited. 

6 Estates with IRA accounts: Discuss with an accountant. Don’t simply liquidate and deposit in estate account.   If you inherit a traditional IRA, you are called a beneficiary. A beneficiary can be any person or entity the owner chooses to receive the benefits of the IRA after the owner dies. Beneficiaries of a traditional IRA must include in their gross income any taxable distributions they receive.

Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)Review IRS Publication 590-B (2023)

Source https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b

Vercammen Law Annual Update Wills July 17, 2024 

Free Workshop & Seminar in person in Edison Law Office  

  on July 17, 2024 from 12:15-1:00 pm   Live in Vercammen Law Office 

FB https://www.facebook.com/events/3633726600177984/

7  Rock n Roll Hall of Fame with wife Cynthia & sister Janet

Thank you for reading and sharing our Newsletter.

 


Friends and clients can help us by....

 








Adding a great review on Google:

https://g.page/r/CTBkhN95W6_OEAI/review


Liking us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100021606926484


Help us with a review on Avvo:

https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/08817-nj-kenneth-vercammen-571594.html


Help us with a review on Yelp:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/kenneth-vercammen-and-assoc-attorney-at-law-edison