New Jersey Criminal Lawyer Blog
The Law Office of Michael Pastacaldi, LLC is a criminal defense firm that has offices in Jersey City and Freehold, New Jersey. Mr. Pastacaldi began his career as a post-conviction relief lawyer in New Jersey in which he represented individuals who alleged they were wrongfully incarcerated due to violations of their constitutional rights. This is a specialized area of criminal defense law that requires the defense attorney to thoroughly understand the criminal defense process to succeed in petitioning a court for relief.
In 2014, Mr. Pastacaldi has earned high acclaim as a New Jersey criminal defense lawyer for his defense and exoneration of Rodney Roberts, who spent 17 years incarcerated for a rape he did not commit. It was through Mr. Pastacaldi’s aggressive representation by filing post-conviction relief motions leading to the discovery of untested DNA evidence that Mr. Roberts won back his freedom. That same year, Mr. Pastacaldi represented a defendant on appeal another high-profile case in State v. John Tate. Before a full panel of Justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Mr. Pastacaldi argued and won a unanimous decision in which they vacated the defendant’s conviction and remanded the matter to the trial proceedings. Mr. Tate would later have the entirety of the indictment and criminal charges dismissed.
In addition to these high-profile cases, Mr. Pastacaldi has represented hundreds of defendants in the municipal courts throughout the state of New Jersey. He is currently a Public Defender in Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne municipal court in addition to an alternate Public Defender in Neptune and Brick Township. Whether it is a traffic ticket or a disorderly conduct offense, Mr. Pastacaldi shows the same passion and individualized attention to these municipal matters that he shows in serious felony matters in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Additionally, Mr. Pastacaldi has helped reunite individuals who are in ICE custody with their love ones through post-conviction relief petitions. As the Department of Homeland Security becomes more aggressive about deporting non-citizens with a criminal conviction, immigration attorneys have turned to help from Mr. Pastacaldi to help prevent deportation by vacating the criminal conviction through post-conviction relief proceedings. Through his hard work and dedication to his clients, Mr. Pastacaldi has been successful in bringing ICE detainees home to their loved ones through successful post-conviction relief petitions.
Throughout his career as a criminal defense lawyer, Mr. Pastacaldi puts his clients first by working closely with them to ease their concerns and ensuring all their questions are answered and responded to promptly. Good communication is at the hallmark of his practice along with this individualized attention to each client’s case. This also means clients being able to schedule office visits after hours during weekdays. You may visit Mr. Pastacaldi’s AVVO web page and his google reviews posted by former clients.
Mr. Pastacaldi also gives back to the legal community. He has also been a guest lecturer at Columbia University on the subject of criminal defense. Moreover, Mr. Pastacaldi continues to be actively involved in Seton Hall Law School’s interscholastic moot court team, where he was a moot court finalist in a national competition while at Seton Hall Law School. He has been a guest judge and coach to the law students.
Whether you have a family member that you feel has been wrongfully incarcerated and is seeking to file a post-conviction relief application or if you or a family member is facing criminal charges, Mr. Pastacaldi will be there to provide professional, aggressive, and individualized attention to your case to ensure your rights are protected. Call today for a consultation at 201-630-0065.