Princeton vs TCNJ
Perhaps you TCNJ and former TCNJ students might be able to appreciate this.
I'm sure all of us at one point or another in our lives have hated TCNJ and perhaps thought about setting it on fire. Well, sorry guys but apparently Princeton University has got us beat.
On Saturday, I bailed out a Princeton University Student on a $50,000 dollar Bail at the Mecerty County Corecction Center AKA Mercer County Work House or just the work house for short. You'll never believe what his charge was.... AGGRAVATED ARSON!! Yes that's right, he was accused of setting a fire. Just remember though.. it's not just arson, but aggravated arson. According to his warrant, which I read, he started a fire in a temporary construction site near a residential hall on campus.
The kid was 20 years old, white male and let me tell you HE WAS SCARED!!!!! I could see it in his face how scared he was. He wasn't in Protective custody, he was in the intake unit which is General Population. Maybe that's why he was scared.
Well, after that it was like a 3 ring circus actually trying to get the kid out. At first the Lieutentant at the Jail wouldn't let us post the bail. We had to threaten them and say "You can't deny us the right to post his bail." Then, the county jail claimed that he couldn't be released because of a victim notification. That didn't make any sense to us, because victim notifications are only used in crimes such as assault and robbery to let the victims know that you are being released from jail. In this case, the jail was claiming that Princeton University (as an institution was a victim) and since the prosecutors office was closed, they weren't going to notify the university and the poor kid was going to have to sit there until monday. Well, to make a long story, short, we got our attorney involved, and the parent got some adminstrators involved at Princeton and finally the kid was released about 8 hours later.
So, ladies and gentlemen, when you got to jail, it's very easy to get in, and not so easy to get out.
HEre's a little excerpt from the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice.
Aggravated Arson, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1a (second degree), and,
if appropriate, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1e
Count __ of the indictment charges the defendant with aggravated arson in violation of a
statute which provides as follows:
A person is guilty of aggravated arson . . . if he starts a fire or
causes an explosion, whether on his own property or another’s:
[READ ONLY THE APPLICABLE SECTION(S)]
(1) Thereby purposely or knowingly placing another person in
danger of death or bodily injury; or
(2) With the purpose of destroying a building or structure of
another; or
(3) With the purpose of collecting insurance for the destruction or
damage to such property under circumstances which recklessly
place any other person in danger of death or bodily injury; or
(4) With the purpose of destroying or damaging a structure in order
to exempt the structure, completely or partially, from the
provisions of any State, county or local zoning, planning or
building law, regulation, ordinance or enactment under
circumstances which recklessly place any other person in danger of
death or bodily injury; or
I'm sure all of us at one point or another in our lives have hated TCNJ and perhaps thought about setting it on fire. Well, sorry guys but apparently Princeton University has got us beat.
On Saturday, I bailed out a Princeton University Student on a $50,000 dollar Bail at the Mecerty County Corecction Center AKA Mercer County Work House or just the work house for short. You'll never believe what his charge was.... AGGRAVATED ARSON!! Yes that's right, he was accused of setting a fire. Just remember though.. it's not just arson, but aggravated arson. According to his warrant, which I read, he started a fire in a temporary construction site near a residential hall on campus.
The kid was 20 years old, white male and let me tell you HE WAS SCARED!!!!! I could see it in his face how scared he was. He wasn't in Protective custody, he was in the intake unit which is General Population. Maybe that's why he was scared.
Well, after that it was like a 3 ring circus actually trying to get the kid out. At first the Lieutentant at the Jail wouldn't let us post the bail. We had to threaten them and say "You can't deny us the right to post his bail." Then, the county jail claimed that he couldn't be released because of a victim notification. That didn't make any sense to us, because victim notifications are only used in crimes such as assault and robbery to let the victims know that you are being released from jail. In this case, the jail was claiming that Princeton University (as an institution was a victim) and since the prosecutors office was closed, they weren't going to notify the university and the poor kid was going to have to sit there until monday. Well, to make a long story, short, we got our attorney involved, and the parent got some adminstrators involved at Princeton and finally the kid was released about 8 hours later.
So, ladies and gentlemen, when you got to jail, it's very easy to get in, and not so easy to get out.
HEre's a little excerpt from the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice.
Aggravated Arson, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1a (second degree), and,
if appropriate, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1e
Count __ of the indictment charges the defendant with aggravated arson in violation of a
statute which provides as follows:
A person is guilty of aggravated arson . . . if he starts a fire or
causes an explosion, whether on his own property or another’s:
[READ ONLY THE APPLICABLE SECTION(S)]
(1) Thereby purposely or knowingly placing another person in
danger of death or bodily injury; or
(2) With the purpose of destroying a building or structure of
another; or
(3) With the purpose of collecting insurance for the destruction or
damage to such property under circumstances which recklessly
place any other person in danger of death or bodily injury; or
(4) With the purpose of destroying or damaging a structure in order
to exempt the structure, completely or partially, from the
provisions of any State, county or local zoning, planning or
building law, regulation, ordinance or enactment under
circumstances which recklessly place any other person in danger of
death or bodily injury; or