Top best Criminal Defense Lawyers in ZIP 07857 | 2 available

John Paul Velez is a Partner of  Arbore Velez, LLC and has been practicing law for more than 16 years.  He joined Forster & Arbore as an associate after over four years of serving as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. He became Partner of Forster Arbore Velez after practicing with Forster & Arbore for 6 years.  While with the Office of the Public Defender, Mr. Velez represented adults and children charged with crimes at the Superior Court level from the first appearance through final disposition. Mr. Velez effectively handled hundreds of criminal cases ranging from minor criminal mischief allegations to defending people charged in complex murder cases and was responsible for all aspects of criminal motion practice from pre-indictment, through jury trial and post-disposition filings and arguments.. Prior to becoming an Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Mr. Velez clerked for the Honorable Marilyn C. Clark, P.J. Cr., who was the presiding criminal judge in the Passaic Vicinage. Mr. Velez was certified as a Mediator in the State of New Jersey during his clerkship.. Mr. Velez graduated summa cum laude and as a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History with a Political Science minor.. Mr. Velez received his juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a student-attorney with the Howard University Criminal Justice Clinic and as a research assistant to Professor Adam Kurland concentrating in federal criminal law issues. He graduated as a Merit Fellows Scholarship recipient.. Mr. Velez is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association, Morris County Bar Association and the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. He is completely bilingual in English and Spanish.

Anthony M. Arbore is a Partner of Arbore Velez, LLC and has been practicing law in Morris County with the firm for more than 35 years. He became a member of the New Jersey State Bar in 1985 and a named Partner in the predecessor firm of Forster & Arbore only 4 years thereafter. Mr. Arbore was thereafter a senior Partner in Forster Arbore Velez until the recent formation of Arbore Velez, LLC in 2021. Mr. Arbore’s practice focuses primarily on criminal and civil trial litigation as well as DWI Defense and the representation of public employees throughout the State of New Jersey on disciplinary matters. His practice consists of handling numerous types of matters on behalf of his clients, such as automobile accidents, various types of personal injury actions, slip-and-fall cases, defective product litigation, as well as complex commercial litigation. In addition to DWI defense, Mr. Arbore handles all aspects of Municipal Court proceedings as well as the defense of juveniles in Superior Court. Mr. Arbore’s significant experience and familiarity with various local Court systems and procedures, both as a Municipal Prosecutor for more than 35 years and as a defense attorney during that period of time, enables him to provide invaluable advice and representation to his clients in each of the matters he handles on their behalf.. In his years as a litigator, Mr. Arbore has handled a number of high-profile criminal matters as well as many notable police and other public employee disciplinary matters. He has successfully argued cases in the Appellate Courts of the State and also successfully argued a controversial and significant juvenile rights case before the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey in 2005. Mr. Arbore has been counsel of record in four published decisions of New Jersey’s Appellate Court.. He is also a Certified Municipal Prosecutor. Among his significant number of appointments as a Municipal Prosecutor, he currently holds the position with the following Municipalities: Andover Borough, Andover Township, Byram Township, Fredon, Hampton, Hopatcong Borough and Stanhope. He also previously served the following Municipalities as Municipal Prosecutor: Chester Township, Netcong Borough, Sussex Borough, Vernon Township, and also as a Special Prosecutor in Jefferson Township.