Being arrested in a casino can be a confusing experience. Especially if you were intoxicated or having a good time, you may not immediately understand what you did wrong or why you are being arrested. In many cases, charges for crimes commonly committed in casinos can be quite severe, and you should speak to an attorney.
Call our criminal lawyers for people arrested at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City today. The Law Offices of John J. Zarych’s criminal defense lawyers represent those accused of crimes in a casino in Atlantic City, and we work to get charges dropped and dismissed. For a free legal consultation with our attorneys, call us today at (609) 616-4956.
Casino Crimes Defense Lawyer
Most casinos have security staff that may report the crime to the police or take matters into their own hands. If you were expelled from a casino, there usually must be a good reason – but once you are kicked out, you cannot go back in without facing charges for trespassing. This is one of the most common ways people get arrested for crimes in a casino, but you might also be reported to the police and arrested from the casino grounds if you were accused of committing another crime.
Assault is often a crime that is charged in casinos. Assault could be charged for hitting another guest at the casino, taking your aggression out on a casino worker or dealer, or for starting a fight with casino security if you are being asked to leave. In many cases, this will only be charged as simple assault, but charges could be upgraded to aggravated assault if you have a weapon or tried to cause severe bodily injury.
Drug charges could also be issued for acts inside a casino or nearby the casino. Buying drugs at a casino could lead to an arrest later in the night if police catch you in possession of illegal drugs like marijuana, MDMA, or cocaine. If you were accused of selling these drugs, the charges could be even more severe.
Disorderly conduct is another crime that is frequently charged for behavior in a casino. Patrons could become drunk and unruly, or they might start having outbursts after losing a lot of money. In many cases, anything short of actual violence or threats could be charged as disorderly conduct if it causes a serious disturbance or involves loud speech and coarse words. Disorderly conduct is also often used as a substitute for public drunkenness charges, as New Jersey has no general crime against public intoxication.
Casinos are often dark and loud, which makes patrons less able to spot theft. If you were accused of taking chips or cash out of someone’s purse or bag, taking unsupervised chips off a table, or otherwise attempting to take something that doesn’t belong to you, you could face criminal charges. You might also be charged if you are attempting to use any fraud or deception to win at a game or get additional chips or payments from the casino.
Steps to Take After an Arrest at an Atlantic City Casino
If you are arrested at the Tropicana or any other casino in Atlantic City, it is important to protect your rights. First, it is vital not to give any information to the police or answer any questions. Even denying the charges against you might end up hurting you later, so it is best to say that you would like your lawyer present for any questions and to politely refuse to answer any additional questions. Second, it is important to actually talk to a lawyer. Our attorneys offer free legal consultations to give you more information about how we might be able to help you, so there is no harm in calling for a lawyer after an arrest.
If you are arrested, you will likely be booked and sent before a judge. The judge will have the power to detain you in jail until trial if they believe that you are a danger to society or that you are a serious flight risk. Otherwise, bail may be set so that you can get out of jail – if you can afford to pay bail. In most non-violent cases in New Jersey, you should be entitled to release on your own recognizance (ROR), which means that you will be released and allowed to return to court on your own. This may be stalled or delayed if you were drunk or high when you were arrested.
After the arrest, it is important to meet with your lawyer to discuss your case. Your attorney can explain the next steps in your case, including arraignment, pretrial court dates, and the trial itself. In many cases, plea negotiations with the prosecution could result in a deal that reduces jail time or drops low-level charges in exchange for community service and treatment for anger issues, substance abuse issues, or other problems. You may also be eligible to have more severe charges dropped after completing programs.
Additionally, if there is not enough evidence to prove the case against you or the police committed mistakes in their arrest and evidence collection, our attorneys will work to have the case thrown out.
Call Our Atlantic City Criminal Defense Lawyers for People Arrested in the Tropicana Casino
If you or a loved one was arrested in the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, call the Law Offices of John J. Zarych today. Our defense lawyers work to get charges dropped and dismissed and to get sentences reduced. Our attorneys are committed to keeping our clients out of jail and stopping unjustified charges from going through. Call our criminal lawyers for people arrested in the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City today to schedule a free legal consultation on your case. Our phone number is (609) 616-4956.