Ana Maria Meizys, Attorney at Law, LLC

04/24/2026

Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act (VASPA) was enacted in 2024 to protect victims not covered by the Domestic Violence Act. My client was granted a VASPA protective order from a former landlord. I represented the client on appeal and successfully argued that the trial court's finding should be affirmed. Given the recentness of VASPA, courts are dealing with uncharted territory. A copy of this unpublished opinion can be found here:

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11/11/2025

Did you know that New Jersey has no state homestead exemption? As such, a homeowner who has fallen on hard times can only exempt $31,575 (per filer) of their home's equity in a bankruptcy per the federal exemptions. Compare that to New York, where the exemption per person, depending on county, can be $204,825 to $102,400. Other states like California and Massachusetts have even higher exemptions and some states have unlimited exemptions (FL, TX). This leaves many in our state financially vulnerable. I am not sure what the starting point is but it is certainly a point that needs to be discussed with our state politicians.

02/14/2023

Just in: Per the New Jersey Supreme Court, a person who previously obtained a "conditional discharge" for possession of small amounts of ma*****na is no longer barred from other pre-trial intervention programs. The section 36 discharge (NJS 2C:36A-1) for minor ma*****na offenses used to be the "one bite at the apple" that precluded an individual from participating in any other programs such as pre-trial intervention but those days are now officially over in New Jersey.

08/22/2022

Surprisingly, bankruptcy filings are the lowest they've been in five years. What is the debt delinquency in your state or county?

This map shows the geography of debt in America at the national, state, and county levels. How does your community compare?

06/08/2022

Even after a landlord obtains a judgment for possession for non-payment of rent, a tenant can still pay the amount owed pursuant to the judgment for possession and avoid eviction. A landlord has to accept the rent and dismiss the case. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 46:8-49.3

04/18/2022

The New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the New Jersey Appellate Division holding that If a complaint-warrant has been filed or an arrest warrant has been issued against a suspect whom law enforcement officers seek to interrogate, the officers must disclose that fact to the interrogee and inform him in a simple declaratory statement of the charges filed against him before any
interrogation. The officers need not speculate about additional charges that may later be brought or the potential amendment of pending charges. https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/assets/opinions/webcast/a_53_20.pdf

The three-judge panel vacated the conviction and ordered a new trial for Anthony Sims Jr., 32, of Long Branch, who is serving 50 years in Trenton State Prison for allegedly shooting another man 12 times in Red Bank on April 9, 2014.

08/10/2021

Eviction moratorium update:

As New Jersey winds down the COVID-19 eviction moratorium, the State has introduced critical protections to renter households who experienced economic hardships during the pandemic.

07/22/2021

If you are not told why you've been arrested, is your Miranda waiver valid?

Expect an opinion from the New Jersey Supreme Court this fall on this issue:

The three-judge panel vacated the conviction and ordered a new trial for Anthony Sims Jr., 32, of Long Branch, who is serving 50 years in Trenton State Prison for allegedly shooting another man 12 times in Red Bank on April 9, 2014.

06/23/2021

Proud to announce a recent win for my client:

Get free access to the complete judgment in Rasulova v. Aguila on CaseMine.