This Georgia attorney practices tax law, but he now will get an education in criminal law. According to his website, Mr. Tenney enjoys photography in his spare time. It seems that the hobby occupies his working time as well. A female employee of his allegedly found a camera hidden under her desk. Also a CPA, Mr. Tenney spend 2 hours in jail, before being freed on $10,000.00 bail.

This case is a good illustration of what it means for a defendant to be charged with numerous counts. Many people often wonder why some crimes warrant multiple counts. Does that make the crime more severe? This is a common misconception which an attorney can easily clarify and defend against.

The severity of a crime is measured in degrees. Though you might hear the terms "felony" and "misdemeanor" on Law and Order, these terms of art are not used in New Jersey. Instead, the terms "indictable" or "non-indictable" are used. For example, a 1st degree case is the most severe and a 4th degree the least with respect to indictable crimes. Non-indictable crimes are typically lesser crimes, and frequently occur in municipal court. Non-indictable crimes are classified as disorderly person offenses.

The phrase "multiple counts" refers to how many times the crime is committed. Each instance an accused person allegedly commits a crime equates to one count, even if it was the same victim and same action repeated. This surveillance case alleges that the victim was recorded on three different occasions. As such, there are three separate counts relating to the different dates on which the Defendant allegedly recorded the victim without her knowledge. A skilled attorney should be hired at the first possible moment, to sort through the requirements of each degree of a charge and whether or not there is proof that they are met, as well as the circumstances that generated the multiple counts.