You went to MetLife Stadium to watch the Giants or Jets. Maybe there was an argument with another fan, an incident during a tailgate, or a confrontation in the stands. Stadium security became involved, the police arrived, and now you have a complaint requiring you to appear in New Jersey court.
What should you do next?
If you were charged with disorderly conduct or another offense after a Giants or Jets game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, do not assume you should simply plead guilty, pay a fine, and forget about it.
What happened before police or stadium security arrived can matter. So can surveillance video, body-worn camera footage, cellphone recordings, and witnesses who saw how the incident actually began.
Taking the right steps shortly after the incident can be important to your defense.
Do Not Post About What Happened at MetLife Stadium
After an upsetting incident, it can be tempting to tell friends, or everyone on social media, what really happened.
Don’t.
Avoid posting about the incident on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit, fan forums, or anywhere else online. Do not post videos with an explanation of what happened or respond publicly to someone else’s account of the incident.
Even a post intended to establish that you did nothing wrong could potentially be used as evidence.
Instead, discuss what happened privately with your attorney.
Preserve Your Photos and Cellphone Videos
If you or someone who attended the game with you took photographs or video before, during, or immediately after the incident, save the original files.
Do not edit, crop, annotate, or delete them.
Video can be especially significant in a case arising from an incident at a crowded football stadium.
Police officers or security personnel may have arrived after an argument or confrontation had already begun. A video could show who approached whom, what occurred before security arrived, whether there was physical contact, or whether a witness’s description of the incident is accurate.
Save anything that might provide context, even if you are not certain whether it is important.
Write Down What Happened While You Still Remember It
A football game is a chaotic environment. Details that seem obvious the next morning may become difficult to remember weeks later.
Write down what happened while the events are still fresh in your mind.
Include where you were sitting, who was with you, what happened before the confrontation, when security arrived, what the police said, and the names or descriptions of anyone who witnessed the incident.
Also preserve:
- Your game tickets and seating information
- Text messages concerning the incident
- Photographs and videos
- Names and contact information for witnesses
- Police paperwork
- Court notices
- Communications from MetLife Stadium or stadium security
Give this information to your attorney rather than posting or circulating your account publicly.
There May Be Video You Have Never Seen
Your own cellphone is not necessarily the only source of video.
Depending on the circumstances, evidence may include MetLife Stadium surveillance footage, police body-worn camera recordings, security reports, and videos recorded by other fans.
That evidence may become important when the initial police report does not tell the entire story.
For example, police may arrive and see two fans arguing but have no firsthand knowledge of how the confrontation started. Another fan’s video may provide a very different picture of what happened before officers arrived.
A criminal defense attorney can evaluate what evidence may exist and determine what should be sought as part of the defense.
Drinking at the Game Does Not Automatically Prove Disorderly Conduct
Alcohol is common at NFL games and tailgates. If police believe you had been drinking, you may assume that defending the case is pointless.
It isn’t.
Consuming alcohol does not by itself establish disorderly conduct.
Disorderly conduct is governed by N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2, and the State must prove the required elements of the offense.
A loud football stadium is also very different from many other public settings. Fans yell, celebrate, argue about calls, and react emotionally to what happens on the field.
Whether someone’s conduct actually violated New Jersey’s disorderly conduct statute depends upon the circumstances, not simply whether the person had been drinking or was involved in an argument.
Being Charged Does Not Mean You Will Be Convicted
One of the most important things to understand after receiving a complaint at MetLife Stadium is that the police decision to charge you is not the final determination of what happened.
Witnesses can disagree. Police may not have observed the beginning of an incident. Security personnel may have received information from only one person. Video may contradict an allegation.
The State still has to prove the offense.
A defense attorney can review the complaint and available evidence and determine whether there are grounds to challenge the charge or pursue a dismissal, amendment or other favorable resolution.
And, not every case is about proving that nothing happened. Sometimes a person made a mistake, had too much to drink, or reacted badly in the moment. Even when you did something wrong, you still deserve a fair and reasonable resolution. Our job is to fight for an outcome that reflects what actually happened and, whenever possible, avoids allowing one incident at a football game to unnecessarily affect your record, your employment, or your future.
What if You Live in New York or Another State?
Many Giants and Jets fans charged at MetLife Stadium do not live in New Jersey.
MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, and many lower-level charges arising there are handled in East Rutherford Municipal Court.
If you live in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or another state, do not ignore the complaint because you live outside New Jersey.
An attorney can determine what the court requires in your particular case, whether your personal appearance is required for particular proceedings, and how the New Jersey Municipal Court process works.
What if the Charge Is More Serious Than Disorderly Conduct?
An incident that begins as an argument between football fans can sometimes result in additional allegations.
Depending upon what allegedly occurred, a person could face charges involving simple assault, harassment, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, or another New Jersey offense.
If there are allegations of physical contact, injury, property damage, threats, or interference with police, it is particularly important to have an attorney review the actual complaints and determine exactly what you are facing.
Do not rely solely on what someone told you at the stadium about how serious, or insignificant, the case is.
Speak With a Lawyer Before You Plead Guilty
If you have never been in trouble before, your first instinct may be to get the case over with as quickly as possible.
That is understandable, but do not plead guilty simply because you want the experience behind you.
Before making that decision, find out what the State can actually prove and whether evidence exists that could help your defense.
For more detailed information about New Jersey disorderly conduct charges arising at MetLife Stadium, including potential penalties and the East Rutherford Municipal Court process, read our MetLife Stadium Disorderly Conduct Defense page.
Charged at MetLife Stadium? Contact Sutnick & Sutnick
If you were charged after a Giants game, Jets game, tailgate, concert, or other event at MetLife Stadium, speak with an experienced New Jersey criminal defense attorney before deciding how to handle the case.
Sutnick & Sutnick Attorneys at Law is a Bergen County criminal defense firm located in Hackensack, New Jersey. Our attorneys regularly handle criminal and Municipal Court matters throughout Bergen County, including cases arising in East Rutherford.
We can review the complaint, determine what evidence may be available, explain what you are facing, and develop a strategy based on the particular facts of your case.
If you were charged with disorderly conduct, simple assault, harassment, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, or another offense following an incident at MetLife Stadium, contact Sutnick & Sutnick to discuss your case.
The sooner the circumstances and available evidence are evaluated, the sooner you can understand your options and begin addressing the case.