Attorney's Note

Under the New Jersey Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
crime of the third degreebetween 3 and 5 yearsup to $15,000
For details, see N.J. Rev. Stat.2C:43-6

Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:156A-5

  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
5. Except as otherwise specifically provided in section 6 of P.L.1968, c.409 (C. 2A:156A-6), any person who:

a. Purposely possesses an electronic, mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication;

b. Purposely sells an electronic, mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication;

c. Purposely distributes an electronic, mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication;

d. Purposely manufactures or assembles an electronic, mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication; or

e. Purposely places in any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publication any advertisement of any electronic, mechanical or other device, knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication or of any electronic, mechanical or other device where such advertisement promotes the use of such device for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of a wire, electronic or oral communication;

shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

L.1968,c.409,s.5; amended 1975,c.131,s.2; 1989,c.85,s.2; 1993,c.29,s.4.