Joseph W. Spagnoli
Joseph W. Spagnoli is considered to be an effective and seasoned criminal trial attorney whose experience and trial skills are unsurpassed. Mr. Spagnoli has represented private clients for 50 years, having tried over 100 jury trials and numerous juvenile and municipal court cases, and negotiated more than 1,500 amicable plea agreements. He enjoys an outstanding reputation within the court system and with his many past and present clients.
Joe appears daily in person and virtually on Zoom in the county superior and local municipal courts, possessing a special familiarity and working knowledge of the criminal justice system in each unique locale, as well as with its members, including judges, prosecutors, and court support personnel, which enhances his ability to achieve the best results for his clients.
Joe appears daily in person and virtually on Zoom in the county superior and local municipal courts, possessing a special familiarity and working knowledge of the criminal justice system in each unique locale, as well as with its members, including judges, prosecutors, and court support personnel, which enhances his ability to achieve the best results for his clients.
He received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He served as Law Secretary to the senior criminal judge in both the Essex County Criminal Court and the Appellate Division of the Superior Court. He was admitted to the Bar in 1972: New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. He then served as an Assistant County Prosecutor in Middlesex County, as a Special Deputy Attorney General, and later as a Municipal Prosecutor.
Following that, in addition to representing private clients, he served as Superior Court Public Defender Per Diem Attorney and as Special Designated Superior Court Public Defender Counsel. Mr. Spagnoli became a Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer in 1982 and maintained that honored status through 2013 when he was duly honored as one of only 21 attorneys to be designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Municipal Court Trial Attorney. He is also a member of the Union County Bar Association.
Mr. Spagnoli distinguishes his criminal practice by combining a uniquely experienced knowledge of trial law with his day-to-day operation of the superior and municipal courts, and a commitment to serving each client through personal communication, updates, and availability during and until the case is completed to the client's satisfaction.
Following that, in addition to representing private clients, he served as Superior Court Public Defender Per Diem Attorney and as Special Designated Superior Court Public Defender Counsel. Mr. Spagnoli became a Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer in 1982 and maintained that honored status through 2013 when he was duly honored as one of only 21 attorneys to be designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Municipal Court Trial Attorney. He is also a member of the Union County Bar Association.
Mr. Spagnoli distinguishes his criminal practice by combining a uniquely experienced knowledge of trial law with his day-to-day operation of the superior and municipal courts, and a commitment to serving each client through personal communication, updates, and availability during and until the case is completed to the client's satisfaction.
Lori Spagnoli
A Certified Criminal Trial Attorney from 1985 through 2011, Lori has practiced exclusively criminal law for 45 years.
After graduating from St. Peter's College and teaching in the Jersey City Public School system, she received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1976. She then pursued postgraduate studies in law at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
In 1977, Lori became the first woman to serve as Municipal Prosecutor for the city of Elizabeth, where she prosecuted hundreds of motor vehicle and disorderly persons offenses, handled administrative hearings, and taught police officers courtroom testimony skills. During this time, she also taught in the Criminal Justice Department at Union College.
From Elizabeth, Ms. Spagnoli became an Assistant Prosecutor in 1979 in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, where she prosecuted all varieties of crimes, including sexual assaults, robberies, and homicides.In 1982, Lori joined the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, where she was elevated to Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor, the highest-ranking female in law enforcement in the county at that time. There, she supervised major investigations which included narcotics wiretaps, among others, both out in the field and in the courtroom, and specialized in high-profile, sensitive, and widely publicized prosecutions.
Thereafter, Ms. Spagnoli joined Joe in Elizabeth and later in Cranford, practicing criminal defense with his firm. She also worked as an Assistant and Per Diem Assistant Deputy Public Defender in Elizabeth until 2003, where she often used her fluency in Spanish while representing her many Spanish-speaking clients.
Since that time, Ms. Spagnoli has continued to practice criminal defense, utilizing her unique and diverse background in criminal law to benefit the firm's clients. Her approach to the law and her clients is the same as her own life: an abiding commitment to service and excellence.
After graduating from St. Peter's College and teaching in the Jersey City Public School system, she received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1976. She then pursued postgraduate studies in law at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
In 1977, Lori became the first woman to serve as Municipal Prosecutor for the city of Elizabeth, where she prosecuted hundreds of motor vehicle and disorderly persons offenses, handled administrative hearings, and taught police officers courtroom testimony skills. During this time, she also taught in the Criminal Justice Department at Union College.
From Elizabeth, Ms. Spagnoli became an Assistant Prosecutor in 1979 in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, where she prosecuted all varieties of crimes, including sexual assaults, robberies, and homicides.In 1982, Lori joined the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, where she was elevated to Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor, the highest-ranking female in law enforcement in the county at that time. There, she supervised major investigations which included narcotics wiretaps, among others, both out in the field and in the courtroom, and specialized in high-profile, sensitive, and widely publicized prosecutions.
Thereafter, Ms. Spagnoli joined Joe in Elizabeth and later in Cranford, practicing criminal defense with his firm. She also worked as an Assistant and Per Diem Assistant Deputy Public Defender in Elizabeth until 2003, where she often used her fluency in Spanish while representing her many Spanish-speaking clients.
Since that time, Ms. Spagnoli has continued to practice criminal defense, utilizing her unique and diverse background in criminal law to benefit the firm's clients. Her approach to the law and her clients is the same as her own life: an abiding commitment to service and excellence.
About the Firm Quick Links
Joseph W. Spagnoli, Esq.312 North Avenue East, Suite 1Cranford, NJ 07016Office: (908) 497-0031joe@joespagnoli.com
Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney from 1982 through 2013
- Former Assistant County Prosecutor
- Former Special Deputy Attorney General
- Former Substitute Municipal Prosecutor
- Former Superior Court Public Defender Per Diem Attorney
- Former Special Designated Superior Court Public Defender Counsel