Does a comma or a semicolon follow 'New Jersey' below? I used a comma because I think the semicolon is too strong of a break at that point in the sentence (before the verb 'were'). Do you agree? And is the sentence punctuated correctly throughout? Mike Jones, 40, of East Greenbush, New York; Sally Fontaine, 34, of Dallas, Texas; and Dave Bartholomew, 45, of East Rutherford, New Jersey, were arrested on charges of conspiracy. And do I insert a comma after 'Buffalo' below? Mike Jones, 45, of Buffalo, was arrested on a charge of petit larceny. Thank you.
I agree with your first example. For the second example, I explained in another thread that having the comma there sets off the phrase "of Buffalo" as an aside. So it's a personal preference based on the effect you're going for.
