Community Corner

Joe Giudice Expected to Decide on Plea Deal This Week

Giudice's scheduled appearance in court Monday was adjourned. Now the prosecutor's office is waiting to see if the case will go to trial.

Montville's most notorious "Real Housewives of New Jersey" husband Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice is expected to make a decision on whether he will take a plea deal on charges of possessing a fraudulent ID, according to Passaic County Assistant Chief Prosecutor Jay McCann.

Giudice was indicted last December after being charged in March of 2011. He was arrested in his Towaco home. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office alleged Giudice had used his brother's identifying information to obtain a driver's license from the Department of Motor Vechicles in Paterson in June 2010. At the time, Giudice's own license had been suspended.

Potential penalties for the charges, which also include forgery, include up to 10 years in prison.

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In July, it was reported that Giudice rejected a plea deal for five years in state prison. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday to set a date for trial, but McCann said the appearance was adjourned. He also said he has spoken with Giudice's lawyer recently and a decision should be made in the next few days on whether Giudice plans to move forward with the plea bargain or not.

"We're at that stage where they have to decide if they're going to take a plea bargain or proceed to trial," McCann said Monday.

Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

McCann said a new court date has not yet been scheduled, to his knowledge.


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