Amber Forrester

When your liberty and livelihood are on the line, experience matters. My philosophy is that any person—regardless of age, upbringing, education, occupation, or life experience—is capable of making a mistake. Perhaps you’re visiting this page because you or someone you love has made a mistake. Perhaps the person accusing you of an offense has. I have helped thousands of people facing charges from minor theft offenses to homicide indictments. I’m used to meeting people on their worst day, and it’s always my goal to improve my client’s outlook. Things immediately look a little brighter when you have someone knowledgeable in your corner and that’s just one of many reasons that time is of the essence in securing representation. Believe it or not, there are only 6 possible defenses to a criminal case—call me and we can discuss which scenario matches your situation. When experience matters, make your very best choice for criminal defense: Amber L. Forrester.

Criminal Law

Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes

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New Jersey

New Jersey Courts

ID Number: 009612008

Since 2008

Assistant Deputy Public Defender

New Jersey Office of the Public Defender

2008 - 2020

Law Clerk to the Honorable F. Patrick McManimon, J.S.C.

New Jersey Superior Court

2007 - 2008

Rutgers University - Camden

J.D. (2007)

College of William and Mary

B.S. (2004)

State Bar of New Jersey  # 009612008

Member

Current

Certified Criminal Trial Attorney

The Supreme Court of New Jersey

Q. Why do I have a post indicted arraignment when I haven’t been indicted yet ?

September 23, 2023

A: While it is not impossible that it was listed erroneously, the odds are that you have been indicted and are just not aware of it yet. Grand jury presentments are secret proceedings that you are not made aware of beforehand, and the filing of the indictment is often the first time you learn your case has been presented. The attorney of record for your case, whether public defender or private counsel, would receive a notification via email that the indictment has been filed, so reaching out to your lawyer is the fastest way to verify that you have been indicted and get a copy of it. If you applied for a public defender but have not yet spoken to a specific lawyer, call the office to learn who your assigned attorney is. If you intend to retain private counsel, you should begin your search as soon as possible so that you are attending that court date with an attorney by your side. At the point of indictment, the prosecutor’s obligation to turn over discovery attaches, so whether your lawyer is private or public, there’s likely a lot more to talk about with him or her now. ... Read More

Q. My daughter was detained at the Newark Airport for unknowingly violating N.J.S. 2c:39-3e. She has no criminal record.

April 11, 2023

A: While her lack of record makes her eligible to apply for the Pre-Trial Intervention program, if accepted that potential dismissal will take a minimum of 12 and maximum of 36 months and require at least some effort from her. Just having a pending charge in the event of a background check may be problematic for her licensure. The case could potentially be downgraded to municipal court as well, but again, there could be ramifications for even a non-felony resolution. Criminal cases are always dependent on a number of variables including the prosecutor, (who has discretion in terms of PTI acceptance among other things) and the actual facts in evidence. The best thing she can do is to get an attorney involved to try to resolve the matter in the most beneficial way possible—it’s very unlikely that the matter gets dismissed outright without at least some discovery being reviewed and picked apart by counsel, and getting a seasoned lawyer involved sooner than later is a smart step in that direction. ... Read More

Q. What to do if you are incarcerated for stealing a street bike you did not steal however you were pulled over riding on?

February 5, 2022

A: From your post, it’s unclear whether this took place in New Jersey or Maryland, but regardless of where, it’s important that your boyfriend has qualified legal counsel. In NJ, a critical element of the crime of Receiving Stolen Property [meaning something that the State needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt] is whether the accused had reason to know that the property was stolen. An experienced criminal defense lawyer will be able not only to explain the possible resolutions to the matter while simultaneously working to persuade the State of his innocence. The best advice is to immediately seek an attorney who is particularly versed in this area of law. Good luck!