The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has recently issued a Scam Alert for doctors and nurses who practice in New Jersey.
The scam is being perpetrated by people who are fraudulently portraying themselves as being from the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners or the Board of Nursing. They are targeting doctors and nurses to try and obtain their personal information, such as financial accounts or social security numbers.
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs is urging licensees to be cautious and on alert for healthcare targeted scams or unusual communications about their information such as fraudulent activity related to their practicing credentials, alleged disciplinary action, or criminal charges against them.
Here is the link to the State’s website: Scam Alert
If any doctor or nurse is contacted by someone claiming to be from the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners or the Board of Nursing, he or she should be cautious about sharing any personal information in light of this Scam Alert. They should engage counsel to assist them in ascertaining whether the contact is bona fide or fraudulent. Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C. has an extensive and well-established practice on behalf healthcare practitioners with the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing and our attorneys are available to assist with assessing and verifying whether the contact is legitimate or not.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss any communication that you have received from the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners or the Board of Nursing, please contact Craig A. Domalewski, Esq., at (908) 272-0200 or cdomalewski@dughihewit.com.
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The information is provided solely for information purposes. It should not be construed as legal advice on any specific matter and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based upon particular circumstances. Each legal matter is unique, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C. is proud to announce that Judy L. Creelman has joined the firm. Ms. Creelman is a very experienced and highly accomplished attorney who focuses her practice on medical malpractice and nursing home cases.
Prior to joining Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C., Ms. Creelman served as litigation counsel for CNA Insurance Company. She has represented defendants in professional and commercial matters, including medical malpractice and nursing home cases, as well as in product liability, premises liability and general liability matters. Ms. Creelman prides herself on meeting the needs of her clients in every engagement and in leading them through the litigation process from the commencement of the lawsuit through trial or other resolution.
In addition to her full-time role as litigation counsel, Ms. Creelman has also been a court appointed arbitrator for more than 15 years, and has been involved in evaluating, assessing, and resolving numerous litigated personal injury cases. This experience as a third-party neutral has assisted her in providing advice to her clients on resolution strategies to obtain the best possible outcomes.
Ms. Creelman will provide added depth and experience to the firm’s already well-established medical malpractice, hospital liability and nursing home defense team. Ms. Creelman may be reached at (908) 272-0200 or jcreelman@dughihewit.com.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C., is proud to welcome Benjamin Forrest to the firm as an associate. Mr. Forrest, a former Essex County Assistant Prosecutor, joins the fast-growing Criminal Defense Group.
Mr. Forrest clerked for the Essex County Criminal Division Presiding Judge before becoming an Assistant Prosecutor, where he worked in the Juvenile Trial Division and Adult Trial Division. As an Assistant Prosecutor, he handled hundreds of cases ranging from Petty Disorderly Persons offenses to First Degree crimes and tried both bench and jury trials.
Mr. Forrest will also use his litigation experience to contribute to the firm’s Complex Civil Litigation, and Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Defense practice areas.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C., is proud to announce that Allison Holzman has joined the firm as a partner in the firm’s matrimonial department. Ms. Holzman has nearly 20 years of experience in matrimonial law and adds her extraordinary talent and deep experience to the firm’s well-established department of family law attorneys.
Ms. Holzman has earned a reputation as an outstanding family law attorney in New Jersey through her effective handling of complicated divorces, her commitment to ensuring positive outcomes are reached for all of her clients, and her passion for delivering individual attention to each client she represents. While she has primarily handled divorce and family law cases in Union County and Essex County, Ms. Holzman practices in all courts throughout the State of New Jersey. Ms. Holzman is a trained family law mediator and has received training in collaborative law, utilizing both tools to help guide her clients to achieve amicable solutions to their legal issues, although she will aggressively advocate on behalf of her clients if the other side is uncooperative.
In addition to her managing her active caseload, Ms. Holzman is a member of the state bar association and serves as a panelist in Essex County for the county Early Settlement Panel, as well as an alternate for the panel in Union County. She has also volunteered her time at the County College of Morris Women’s Clinic.
She has garnered numerous professional awards and recognition throughout her career. Ms. Holzman recently received a Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Award in 2020, the Avvo Clients’ Choice Award in 2019, and has been recognized as a “New Jersey Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” by New Jersey Monthly Magazine on numerous occasions. Ms. Holzman was also previously named a “Top 10 Attorney Under 40” in Northern New Jersey by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys and “10 Best Under 40” by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. She has also been named a “Top 100 Member” of the TheNationalAdvocates.org website.
With the addition of Ms. Holzman, Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C. has added significant depth to its already deeply talented matrimonial department which will ensure that the firm can continue to provide the highest level of legal service to its clients in need of representation on family law and divorce matters.
Ms. Holzman can be reached at aholzman@dughiewit.com or (908) 272-0200.
New Jersey’s highest court recently held that law enforcement authorities can compel defendants to turn over their phone passcodes in order for them to retrieve information from the device through a search warrant. In a 4-3 opinion, the majority of the Supreme Court of New Jersey agreed that production of cellphone passcodes is testimonial in nature, but then went on to apply the foregone conclusion exception to hold that the passcodes must be released in light of a search warrant for the phone. Justice LaVecchia authored a dissent that argued that the information is protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination because it is part of the defendant’s thoughts, which cannot and should not be compelled.
Brandon D. Minde, a partner and chair of the firm’s criminal defense practice group participated on the brief for amicus curiae New Jersey State Bar Association, which argued in support of the issues raised in the minority opinion against forced disclosure of “mental thoughts.” Minde, a former prosecutor, is certified by the NJ Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney and is chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section.
Minde was quoted in the NJ Star Ledger article on the case: “Brandon Minde, the chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section, said the organization agrees with the dissenting opinion and will continue to monitor how this decision affects privacy concerns for New Jersey residents. “In a world where right to privacy is constantly shrinking, our Constitutional rights must not,” Minde said.” https://www.nj.com/news/2020/08/defendants-can-be-forced-to-turn-over-phone-passcodes-njs-highest-court-rules.html
Minde was also quoted in the New Jersey Law Journal on the case: “The NJSBA agrees with the issues raised in the minority opinion related to the rapidly evolving nature of technology and the protection individuals should have of their ‘mental thoughts’ in the face of governmental compulsion in a criminal matter,” said Brandon Minde, chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section and chair of the criminal defense practice group at Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski in Cranford. In a world where the right to privacy is constantly shrinking, our Constitutional rights must not,” Minde said. “The NJSBA will continue to monitor the case and others that center on the issue of people being forced to disclose their ‘mental thoughts’. This is certainly an issue that will be raised again.” https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2020/08/11/why-cellphone-passwords-per-divided-nj-high-court-are-not-contents-of-ones-mind/
If you were arrested, or receive a search warrant, or are the subject of a potential criminal investigation in New Jersey, you should be represented by an experienced criminal defense attorney in New Jersey. Please contact Brandon Minde at (908) 272-0200, if you have any questions about your rights in any criminal proceeding.
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The information is provided solely for information purposes. It should not be construed as legal advice on any specific matter and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based upon particular circumstances. Each legal matter is unique, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Brandon Minde was recently quoted in an article on nj.com in connection with a high-profile, white collar criminal defense matter he is handling in federal district court in New Jersey. The case was filed by the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and alleges wire fraud, bribery, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mortgage fraud and tax fraud against a former public official. As reflected in the article, Mr. Minde’s client denies any wrongdoing. Mr. Minde is a partner with the firm and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney. He is the Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association and heads the criminal defense practice of Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C.
The article can be found by clicking this link: NJ.com – Ex-N.J. Assemblyman charged by feds in alleged kickback schemes while holding illegal city job
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C. is proud to announce that Brandon D. Minde, a trial partner and Chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section, will be part of the faculty for the NJICLE live webcast: Remote and Virtual Criminal Court Proceedings from Initial Charges through Sentencing- Practice Considerations in a COVID-19 World on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 9:00 am.
This live webcast offers a day in the life of an attorney in Remote and Virtual criminal court proceedings – From the time an attorney receives notice that a client has been arrested to conclusion of proceedings; for novice to seasoned practitioner; from court rules and procedures to their application in a real-life virtual proceeding; proven practical tips for a seamless virtual court experience and much more. The program will take you thru step-by-step from initial training to review and application of pertinent rules and procedures during live, mock proceedings thru various stages of virtual court proceedings – CJP court/detention hearings, first appearance, discovery conferences, plea hearings, oral arguments, contested testimonial hearings (Wade, Suppression), expert testimony, bench and jury trial, sentencing etc.
The faculty of well-respected defense attorneys and prosecutors will engage in real-life remote and virtual criminal court proceedings before the Hon. Sohail Mohammed, Judge of the Superior Court.
Mr. Minde is the head of Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski’s criminal law department, is a former Essex County Assistant Prosecutor, and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney.
Brandon D. Minde, a trial partner and Chair of the NJSBA Criminal Law Section, recently authored an Op-Ed that appeared on NJ.com., titled “Will we ever return to the days of a packed courthouse?” The article explores how New Jersey trial attorneys have been adapting to the virtual court proceedings which have been taking place in New Jersey due to the coronavirus.
Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote, “Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.” Of course, mere access to Zoom video does not itself assure ideal “access to the courthouse doors,” but in COVID-19 times, it’s a good start and will likely remain as a part of future courthouse operations in New Jersey even after New Jersey fully recovers from the effects of COVID-19 and resumes more “normal” operations. Mr. Minde is the head of Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C.’s criminal law department, is a former Essex County Assistant Prosecutor, and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney.
Posted Jun 01, 2020 on NJ.com
By Brandon D. Minde
I appeared before an Essex County judge recently to argue a motion to dismiss. I am an attorney. I do this all the time. But lately, I have been doing so from home, in front of my computer, dark suit and all, at least from the waist up.
The same afternoon I participated in a plea agreement before a Somerset County judge. Same home, same computer, just a different case and county. I did not take a law school course in virtual justice. No lawyer did. But we are learning fast. The pandemic has forced virtual justice upon us. And rather than be scared, we should embrace it.
“Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.” Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote those words in 1985 when he, of course, assumed the actual courthouse doors would always physically open. But he could not have foreseen what we now face: COVID-19, stay at home orders, social distancing.
“Access to the courthouse doors” has now taken on a new meaning.
Courthouses remain physically shut, but those of us who spend our days seeking to protect individuals’ rights and pursue justice continue our work in new, innovative ways.
Virtual arraignments to read formal criminal charges. Check.
Virtual case management conferences to discuss discovery issues or plea negotiations, and even virtual sentencings. Check, check and check.
We have learned some things along the way. Straightforward, less contentious proceedings have adjusted well to the virtual world. For example, a client’s first appearance where the pending charges are read, potential exposure advised, and bail conditions for release are given.
I am less confident about courtroom situations that seem made for, well, live courtroom TV. If I virtually confront an accuser who has given conflicting stories, or surprises an expert witness with old social media posts showing her bias, will my impact on the jury be the same as if they were sitting a few feet away? I doubt it.
Our judicial system is steeped in history and tradition. (Think of the black robes.) It is slow to change. In law school I learned to ask a judge, “permission to roam the well.” That’s court speak for, “may I please get up and walk in front of you?”
A lawyer is someone who solves problems. And COVID-19 presents a big one.
We need technology to plug the gap where history and tradition fall short because what’s the alternative? To shut down the legal system for months? For years? For every new outbreak? In a country that requires “access to the courthouse doors” to ensure justice and liberty, that would be unthinkable.
During one recent virtual hearing, I wanted to discuss a matter privately with the judge and prosecutor. Before, I would request that we meet in the judge’s chambers. Now, I requested we move to the judge’s virtual chambers (read: Zoom video breakout room). It all worked smoothly … and until recently I, and many of my legal colleagues, had never even heard of Zoom.
Many more of us will soon be touched by these innovations. New Jersey is starting a pilot program for virtual grand juries. People with traffic tickets are getting notices for virtual municipal court hearings. There are certainly differing views on virtual court appearances and virtual grand juries, but I am proud the legal system is not standing still in the face of COVID-19.
For the moment, virtual proceedings are limited and most substantive ones require consent from all the parties involved. But things are changing fast as we simply do not know when we will return to the days of hundreds of people crowding into courthouses. Those who have had jury duty remember the crowded jury rooms, courtrooms, cafeterias, hallways and elevators. Post-pandemic what will be the reaction the first time someone sneezes in a jury box?
One day soon, you may receive a jury notice form instructing you on which day and at what time to login to Zoom for jury duty from your dining room table. Of course, mere access to Zoom video does not itself assure ideal “access to the courthouse doors,” but in these troubled times, it is a good start.
Brandon Minde is an attorney at Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C, in Cranford and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a criminal trial attorney.
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Everyone in New Jersey has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic one way or another. If you are divorced or divorcing, whether you are the recipient of alimony and/or child support or the payor, your pocket has most likely already felt the devasting economic impact of the coronavirus. We have seen almost every industry in New Jersey adjust in an attempt to survive during this challenging time. You may ask, am I expected to adjust? Am I permitted?
It is common during these trying economic times to have questions regarding your alimony or child support obligations and entitlements under New Jersey law due to the impact of COVID-19. For example, if you are ordered to pay alimony and child support, but recently lost your job, are you entitled to immediate relief? Conversely, if you are the recipient of support and the payor lost his or her job, are you expected to forego your court ordered payments or reduce them?
Ordinarily, a Court application is necessary to obtain modification of responsibility and entitlement when there is a substantial change of financial circumstances. However, alternative mechanisms are also available in New Jersey which often produce much more expeditious and less expensive form of relief without Court application, such as Binding Arbitration and Economic Mediation.
The attorneys in the Family Law Department at Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski are here to answer all of your questions. Their credentials are set forth on the Firm’s website. Each lawyer is skilled in being able to carefully guide you through the process.
While the coronavirus pandemic is affecting us all, the answers to your questions are fact specific and can only apply on a case by case basis. To learn what your options are do not hesitate to call (908)272-0200 or e-mail Mario C. Gurrieri, Esq. (mgurrieri@dughihewit.com), Kristin M. Capalbo, Esq. (kcapalbo@dughihewit.com) or Jennifer L. Young, Esq. (jyoung@dughihewit.com) for an initial telephonic or virtual conference.
