New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog

As a drunken driving defense attorney representing New Jersey motorists charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, I have handled hundreds of cases involving individuals who drove drunk and had an accident while intoxicated. The state of New Jersey provides stiff fines and jail time for many motorists who operate a vehicle while impaired by beer, wine or hard liquor.

Driving under the influence of prescription drugs (drug DUI) will also cause a driver trouble if pulled over by a state, county or municipal law enforcement officer. Regardless of the circumstances, for a traffic stop to be valid it must be supported by the police officer's reasonable suspicion that a motor vehicle violation has occurred. Under State v. Carpentieri, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that law enforcement officers must have an articulable and reasonable suspicion that a violation of traffic law has happened.

Once an individual is stopped the police must have probable cause to believe the driver is intoxicated before they can make an arrest and conduct a breathalyzer test - usually using an Alcotest measuring device. Remember that there is no right to advice from counsel at this early stage in the DWI process.

A few examples of drunk driving arrests are included below, based on recent news reports. Dozens of these kinds of incidents take place in New Jersey every week.

Montclair
Officers pulled over a 28-year-old Clifton resident in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 20, when officers observed the motorist traveling at a high rate of speed along the city street. The actual traffic stop occurred at the corner of Glenridge Avenue and Forest Street. As officers approached the vehicle, they detected signs that the driver had possibly been drinking. The man was likely given a series of field sobriety tests to determine his state of inebriation, after which he was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as speeding.

In an earlier incident, a 56-year-old woman from Riverdale was charged with several offenses including assault by auto, careless driving and DWI after the vehicle she was driving collided with another car. The driver reportedly left the scene of the accident just before 6:30pm on January 19. According to police records, another motorist followed the woman as she drove away, following her to the intersection of Grove Street and Mt. Hebron Road, where she eventually pulled over.

Red Bank
A 44-year-old resident of Newark, NJ, was arrested on January 17 after a Red Bank patrolman observed the woman driving in a manner suggesting drunk driving. The officer pulled the driver over, and on suspicion of drunk driving charged the woman with driving under the influence of alcohol.

In two separate incidents on January 16, Red Bank police arrested a 24-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man on charges of driving while intoxicated. The woman was stopped by a Red Bank police officer in the area of N. Bridge Ave. The woman was apparently drunk, according to police. The officer likely conducted standardized field sobriety tests, which the suspect probably failed. She was arrested for DWI.

In the second arrest that day, the 64-year-old driver was stopped near Newman Springs Rd. by a Red Bank patrolman on suspicion of drunk driving and other traffic violations. After evaluating the driver, the officer effected an arrest and charged the man with driving under the influence of alcohol.

BLOTTER: A CUPFUL OF WHAT??? OH, YUCK!, RedBankGreen.com, January 25, 2010

Montclair: Police Blotter, NorthJersey.com, January 28, 2010

Driving while intoxicated, DWI or driving under the influence, whatever term you use it all adds up to lost driving privileges and extensive fines, not to mention possible job loss and being disgraced in the eyes of your family or local community. Here in New Jersey, being convicted of a drunk driving charge can result in a range of possible actions by the court to punish the convicted drunk driver.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney my firm represents hundreds of individuals every year in cases of driving under the influence of alcohol. A number of these cases involve human as well as social costs. Even under the best of circumstances, the financial cost of a DWI conviction can result in expensive court fines as well as higher insurance rates for years to come.

The stigma alone of a alcohol-related DWI or drug DUI conviction can affect a person's standing in the community, possible loss of a job, or potential damage to relationships with family and friends.

A DWI conviction can be expensive. Fines and penalties for additional drunk driving convictions are large, but even first-time offenders can feel the sting. Below are just a few of the potential monetary costs that can be expected for a variety of drunk driving offenses, according to the State of New Jersey (Remember that jail time or community service may also be included if the court deems it necessary).

A first DWI offense will typically cost a motorist $250 to $400 in fines for a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher (but less than 0.10 percent). This fine rises to $300-$500 if your BAC is 0.10 percent or higher. Plus, there is an automobile insurance surcharge of $1,000 per year, which will last for three years.

Being convicted for a second DWI offense will get you a $500 to $1,000 fine, plus an automobile insurance surcharge of $1,000 per year for three years.

Conviction for a third DWI offense will result in a $1,000 fine, as well as an auto insurance surcharge of $1,500 per year for three years.

If you refuse to submit to a breath test, be prepared to hand the state between $300 and $500 for your first offense. This fine ranges between $500 and $1,000 for a second offense, and $1,000 for the third. In all instances, the insurance surcharge applies -- this will total $1,000 per year for three years for the first and second offenses; and $1,500 for the third offense. If you are convicted of driving on a suspended license due to a previous DWI your fine will typically be $500.

All of these fines are in addtioin to several other surcharges that the state applies to every DWI conviction:

• $100 -- Drunk driving enforcement fund
• $100 -- Motor Vehicle Commission restoration fee
• $100 -- Intoxicated Driving Program fee
• $50 -- Violent Crimes Compensation Fund fee
• $75 -- Safe and Secure Community Program fee
• $100 -- $50 for the state of New Jersey and $50 for the municipality in which the conviction was obtained

More than a half million people live in Monmouth County, NJ. At 1,300 people per square mile, the number of DWI arrests can be staggering. Police pull over dozens of drunk drivers every week, many of which are convicted of driving while intoxicated, then fined and even sentenced to some jail time. As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, my law firm has broad experience defending individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as those motorists charged with drug DUI.

Local police departments as well as state law enforcement agencies throughout the Garden State have demonstrated a rather low tolerance for motorists who are caught driving while intoxicated. The following police blotter listing is just a sampling of the various types of DWI and drug DUI arrests that my office handles throughout the year.

Tinton Falls
A 44-year-old Shrewsbury man was arrested and charged with DWI after he attempted to pick up his child at Mahala Atchison School in a drunken state. According to reports, school officials were alerted to the man's allegedly drunken condition man and delayed his leaving the school zone. Police arrived shortly after being called by the school and took the man into custody.

Four DWI arrests were made during November in the Tinton Falls area. One occurred on Route 33, where a 29-year-old woman from Freehold, NJ, was arrested by a patrolman and charged with driving while intoxicated. A second arrest occurred on Route 18, with a 54-year-old Howell resident being charged with DWI following a traffic accident. In another DWI-related traffic accident, this time on Sycamore Avenue, a local man was charged with drunk driving following that minor incident. Finally, a 30-year-old local resident was pulled over on Hope Road for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Manasquan
A 33-year-old man from West Long Branch, New Jersey, was stopped by police along Main Street and charged with DWI in late November. A few days later, a local patrolman stopped a 19-year-old resident of Weymouth, NJ, along Route 71 and arrested the man for driving while intoxicated; than motorist was also charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Red Bank
A 40-year-old woman from Highlands, NJ, was arrested on November 25 for driving while intoxicated. A couple days later, a 52-year-old man from Middletown and a 27-year-old motorist from Fair Haven were stopped in separate incidents on the same day in late November and charged with DWI.

Monmouth County Police Blotter, APP.com, December 23, 2009

I've said it before, but perhaps it bears repeating: A drunk driving conviction can ruin your life, not only because of the social stigma, but also from the standpoint of getting a job, or keeping the one you currently have. As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, I have spent many years on both sides of the aisle, first as a municipal drunk driving prosecutor and now as an advocate for those accused of driving while intoxicated.

While most people may feel that they won't be caught while driving under the influence, it often happens that they themselves make things worse simply by getting behind the wheel in the first place. This apparently was the case for a local fire department official in Fair Haven, New Jersey.

According to news reports, the now former Fair Haven Fire Chief, Shaun Foley, drove his department vehicle into a telephone pole back on November 22 in Rumson, NJ. Following that crash another motorist crashed into the telephone pole and wires downed by Foley, who has been charged drunken driving.

Police say that that Foley attempted to flee the scene in his heavily damaged fire department SUV, which broke down about a block away from the crash right in front of Rumson's Borough Hall.

According to news reports, the 27-year-old Foley, who has also worked as a Rumson police dispatcher and part-time policeman, then left his vehicle and traveled on foot to the Oceanic Bridge, a mile away, where he jumped into the Navesink River. This prompted a massive rescue effort involving helicopters and boats.

By taking down that utility pole, Foley reportedly knocked out electrical power to streetlights in the area. That, in turn, caused an Ocean Township man, Robert Walsh, to smash his car into the same downed utility pole. The report says Walsh told police he didn't see the wreckage. The man was uninjured.

The initial crash was called in by a passing motorist. Calling in almost simultaneously was off-duty police Sergeant Peter Koenig, who lives nearby; he heard the crash, followed by the revving sound of an engine, the article reports. Koenig's written account indicates that Foley's vehicle wasn't at the scene of the crash when he arrived. By then, the other motorist had already hit the downed pole.

Fleeing north on foot, Foley was spotted on the northern side of the Oceanic Bridge by Little Silver police officer Gregory Oliva, but he apparently ignored Oliva's request that he get into the officer's car. Instead, Foley jumped over the bridge's western flank into the river.

Continue reading "Fair Haven, NJ, Fire Chief Wrecked Department Vehicle in Alleged Drunk Driving Accident" »

The coming holiday season is well known for its parties and family gatherings, and despite the poor economy drunk driving arrests are sure to surge during the next few weeks. In response, New Jersey DWI enforcement units are taking to the streets in an effort to reduce the instance of driving while intoxicated. As leading drunk driving defense lawyers, my firm has experience in a wide range of DWI and drug DUI defense. Recent news of the "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaign is evidence that drunk driving patrols will be working overtime in the Garden State.

According to news reports, law enforcement agencies across the state are already conducting saturation patrols and operating sobriety checkpoints, also known as sobriety roadblocks, as part of the nationwide drunk driving campaign. Enforcement will continue, say police, through January 3, 2010.

New Jersey's Division of Highway Traffic Safety is funding the local initiative, which began in 1999. According to reports, the division provides $5,000 grants to law enforcement agencies to cover overtime for those officers assigned to DWI patrols or checkpoints.

To illustrate the extent of the effort, 110 Jersey police agencies will receive grants, according to Pam Fischer, the division's director. The campaign will also include the New Jersey State Police.

A police spokesperson indicated that the holiday DWI crackdown will see officers on the street spending about four hours looking for "possible alcohol-impaired drivers" along with their regular patrols. "It's important that we keep everybody safe on the roads, especially near the holidays," said Vineland police Sgt. Vince Solazzo of the city's Traffic Safety Unit.

Police remind the public that last year, 11,773 people across the United States died in crashes involving a drunk driving, this is according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to reports, New Jersey saw 165 people killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2008, down from 195 in '07.

Extra drunken-driving patrols coming to South Jersey, CourierPostOnline.com, December 8, 2009

Captain Palmer has begun his holiday schedule for the Monmouth County DWI Task Force. The latest site for a sobriety checkpoint is Route 35 in Middletown. We have seen this location used many times in the past and it has obviously been a location of significant drunk driving arrests on prior occasions. The roadblock shall be conducted between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. this evening and shall be located on southbound State Highway 35.

A location like this one in Middletown is not selected randomly. The police must present statistical data that demonstrates that the site of a roadblock is a particularly problematic location for drinking and driving. This is certainly one of many defenses which our DWI attorneys explore in roadblock cases.

The east side of Red Bank, NJ, was the site of a police chase following an initially unsuccessful DWI traffic stop. According to reports, Captain Darren McConnell of the Red Bank traffic safety unit identified a Chevy pickup moving erratically around 2am on Saturday, September 26, just prior to running a stop sign at Wallace and McLaren streets.

As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney having defended numerous motorists charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, this is a typical scenario for an early morning drunk driving arrest. However, fleeing a police officer only complicates matters for a defendant accused of driving under the influence. In this day and age, there is no sense to making matters worse by adding resisting arrest to the list of charges.

In this case, Captain McConnell attempted to pull over Jesse Rowe, 21, who was driving his vehicle in an allegedly erratic manner. As McConnell started to pull Rowe's truck over the suspect accelerated away in an apparent attempt to evade arrest. Pursuing Rowe eastbound on McLaren Street, then north on William Street and east again on Mechanic, the entire chase was less than a half mile, according to police reports.

After finally bringing his vehicle to a stop, Rowe reportedly got out of the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. However, he was caught after a short distance by McConnell, who subdued the man after a brief struggle. The arrest was made near the intersection of Mechanic Street and Prospect Avenue, not far from the suspect's Mechanic Street residence, police reports show.

Rowe was charged with DWI, possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, eluding police and resisting arrest. Bail was set at $10,000 and he was placed in the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in the interim.

Cop Nabs DWI Suspect after Short Chase, RedBankGreen.com, September 28, 2009

I colleague was able to achieve an excellent result in a DWI case recently. In this regard, the defendant had a blood alcohol content of .115 while striking a pedestrian. The rub is that the pedestrian was also intoxicated, possessing a BAC of .26. The allegations were that the deceased walked into oncoming traffic with little to no warning. A grand jury refused to indict the defendant on a felony offense of death by auto so the case was remanded to municipal court. The defendant was found guilty of DWI and was sentenced to thirty (30) days in jail. The Asbury Park Press reported this weekend that the defendant's appeal of the sentence was denied.

Following the initial ruling in this matter, I received several offensive comments on my blog, as well as emails of similar attack. I assume that the related individuals felt we were a good target to voice displeasure given our prominence as NJ DWI Lawyers. While it might be hard for the complaining individuals to accept, causation is a requirement in order to hold an individual criminally accountable for death by auto. An indictment was not returned in this case because a Grand Jury panel of citizens heard the evidence and simply found that, although the defendant was intoxicated, he was not the cause of the fatality. The driver was therefore not indicted. Notwithstanding, the defendant is going to jail for thirty (30) days.

I certainly understand a level of frustration on the part of some given the fact that the defendant was intoxicated, however, the law cuts both ways. The defendant here was not guilty of assault by auto and therefore the most that could be imposed in terms of jail was significantly limited. The municipal court judge found that thirty days was appropriate. The situation could have gone much different but the facts simply did not support such a result.

Drivers across the New Jersey area, including Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic counties, may see an increase in police presence on the state's highways and surface streets during this coming Saturday, October 10. In a nationwide campaign known as "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day," law enforcement agencies will be out in force looking for traffic violations and targeting zero fatalities for one full day. This effort may include sobriety checkpoints in various areas.

As a citizen of New Jersey, as well as a DWI defense attorney, I am always happy to see traffic deaths decrease. However, I know that some motorists can get a raw deal from local and state police during campaigns such as this. That is why I always encourage people arrested for drunk driving to contact a legal professional for advice and counsel.

According to news reports, "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day" will see police departments statewide emphasizing and enforcing all traffic laws, including seatbelt usage, obeying the posted speed limit, avoiding distractions such as cellphone use while driving, and not getting behind the well when intoxicated.

Police data show that 591 individuals died in traffic accidents in New Jersey just last year. While this number may seem high, it represents a 19-percent decline from 2007, and also marks the lowest number of recorded motor vehicle deaths in the state since 1948, according to reports.

As with last year's campaign, law enforcement agencies throughout the state will be reporting crash information -- such as total number of crashes, injuries crashes and fatalities -- for the 24-hour period of October 10. Police will convey that information to the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the state's lead traffic safety agency. The division will then compile and post this information on its website.

Approximately 66 percent of the 496 police agencies in the state, as well as the state police, reported crash data following last year's "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day." A total of 1,065 crashes took place in New Jersey on that day, resulting in 201 injuries and two fatalities.

Lower Township Police promote annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, ShoreNewsToday.com, September 24, 2009

As a New Jersey drunk driving lawyer, I constantly tell people who have been arrested for DWI or issued a summons for drunk driving or breath test refusal to retain the services of an experienced drunk driving defense lawyer. One of the most likely places to be pulled over for driving while intoxicated is a sobriety checkpoint, also known as a roadblock.

According to a news report, beginning tonight and running through Saturday morning the Monmouth County drunk driving task force, working together with New Jersey's Highway Traffic Safety division, will be conducting a DWI checkpoint on the southbound side of Route 35 near Holmdel in Monmouth County. The roadblock will be set up to pull motorists over into the Dearborn Farms parking lot where members of the task force and officers from the Holmdel Police Department will determine drivers' sobriety.

The checkpoint will be in operation from 11pm tonight until 3am Saturday morning.
Drivers who are stopped at roadblocks such as this are usually evaluated by a police officer using standardized field sobriety testing procedures. If a patrolman has reason to believe that a motorist is intoxicated behind the wheel, that officer may then request that the motorist undergo a breathalyzer test to ascertain the individual's blood alcohol content (BAC).

Our law firm attempts to alert drivers to the existence of these kinds of checkpoints due to the heightened incidence of drunk driving in or around a particular locale. The is because New Jersey law states that police and other law enforcement agencies can only set up sobriety roadblocks in areas that have a statistically high percentage of drunk driving arrests.

DWI checkpoint being held in Holmdel this weekend, AAP.com, October 1, 2009

Summer may be over, but New Jersey's law enforcement agencies are still hard at work looking for motorists who are driving under the influence of alcohol (DWI) or drugs (DUI). A sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for this evening near Belmar, NJ. According to a news report, the Monmouth County drunk driving task force, with cooperation from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, will be pulling vehicles over between the hours of 11pm Saturday night and 3am Sunday morning along the southbound lanes of New Jersey's Route 35 in Belmar.

As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I am very familiar with the police department's use of sobriety checkpoints. Sometimes referred to as roadblocks, they are commonly used to identify drivers impaired by alcohol, or prescription or illegal drugs. As part of these sobriety roadblocks, police usually request drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated to take one or more field sobriety tests.

Also on hand is usually a breath-testing device, like the Alcotest machine, which is used to determine the specific amount of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. The legal blood-alcohol content (BAC) in New Jersey is 0.08 percent.

Anyone who is arrested for DWI, taken into custody for drug DUI, or is issued a summons for breath test refusal is encouraged to retain an experienced drunk driving defense attorney. All of the lawyers at The Law Offices of John Marshall are certified in the operation and maintenance of the Alcotest device, as well as the standardized field sobriety tests established by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Only a small handful of New Jersey law firms can make this claim. We have the experience and background to represent individuals accused of drunk driving anywhere in New Jersey, which is why clients turn to us for highly skilled legal assistance.

Two DWI checkpoints scheduled in Monmouth County this weekend, APP.com, September 17, 2009

Drivers in Monmouth and Essex Counties, along with many other parts of New Jersey, will see numerous Drunk driving patrols over the coming weeks. DWI sobriety checkpoints throughout the Garden State will also be evident during the days leading up to the coming Labor Day holiday weekend. These checkpoints, also known as sobriety roadblocks, are commonly used by law enforcement as one way to decrease the number of alcohol-related auto accidents and deaths on the state's highways and surface streets.

As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, my office alerts motorists to these checkpoints due to the number of driving while intoxicated arrests in these areas. By law, state, county and municipal arms of law enforcement can only set up checkpoints in locations that have a statistically high incidence of people driving under the influence of alcohol.

Standard procedure at these checkpoints includes police giving field sobriety tests to drivers that appear to be intoxicated. If the officer is satisfied that an individual operating a vehicle is possibly drunk, a breath test will usually be administered to determine the blood alcohol content (BAC) of that driver.

As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, our office advises anyone who has been issued a summons for drunk driving or breath test refusal at one of these sobriety checkpoints to contact a skilled drunk driving defense lawyer.

Every lawyer on our staff is fully trained and qualified in the operation of the Alcotest breath test device, which is used extensively across the state of New Jersey. Our attorneys also possess an in-depth knowledge of standardized field sobriety testing, as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Hardly any other New Jersey law firm can make this claim of all their attorneys, which is why we can help you with your latest DWI summons.

Drunken-driving crackdown to begin on Aug. 21, GMNews.com, August 20, 2009

A new sobriety roadblock will be set up in Monmouth County, New Jersey, beginning tonight (11pm on July 31) and remaining in effect until 3am on Saturday, August 1, 2009, in an attempt to catch drunk drivers in the Allenhurst, NJ, area. According to the Monmouth Co. DWI Task Force, which will be working in concert with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the sobriety checkpoint will be screening drivers to detect those individuals operating their vehicles under the influence of alcohol and/or illicit or prescription drugs.

This latest drunk driving roadblock will be located along the northbound lanes of Main Street near Elberon Avenue, where drivers will be routed to determine their level of inebriation, if any. During the DWI stops, the task force members and officers from the Allenhurst Police Department will use standardized field sobriety testing as established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In the state of New Jersey, sobriety checkpoints are typically employed by local police and other law enforcement agencies to help decrease the occurrence of alcohol-related auto accidents and fatalities across the state's rural and urban roads, as well as on the highways and other high-traffic roadways.

To be fair to the driving public, as well as follow the letter of the law, the state, county and municipal law enforcement entities establish these occasional checkpoints using certain criteria. The law requires that the location of each checkpoint be chosen based on statistical data that shows it has a high preponderance of people operating vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

Once a person is determined to be most likely intoxicated, via field sobriety testing, the driver may be asked to submit to a breathalyzer test to determine the exact level of alcohol in his or her blood -- blood alcohol content (BAC). As New Jersey DWI Attorneys, we advise anyone who has been issued a summons for DWI, drug DUI or refusal to take a breath test to retain the services of a skilled legal professional.

Every one of our lawyers is fully trained and qualified in the operation of the Alcotest breath test device, as well as having an in-depth knowledge of standardized field sobriety testing. Very few New Jersey DWI law firms can make this claim. This is why, time and again, clients choose our firm to represent them in a court of law.

DWI task force in Allenhurst this weekend, APP.com, July 31, 2009

New Jersey's drunk driving laws will be strictly enforced this Fourth of July weekend, especially in Ocean Township, Monmouth County, where a sobriety checkpoint will be in effect from Friday evening until early Saturday morning. Sobriety checkpoints are frequently used by police and other law enforcement agencies to identify drunk drivers and make arrests for DWI and driving under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs.

As part of these sobriety roadblocks, police usually ask drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated to take one or more field sobriety tests. Breath testing apparatus, such as the Alcotest machine, are also employed to determine the specific content of alcohol in an individual's bloodstream. The legal limit in New Jersey is 0.08 percent blood alcohol content (BAC).

This latest sobriety checkpoint will be set up on Ocean Avenue in the borough of Deal and remain in effect from 11pm Friday through 3am. Task force members and officers from the Deal Police Department will pull vehicles from the northbound lanes into the Deal Casino Beach Club parking lot to determine drivers' sobriety, according to a press release issued by Brielle Police Chief Michael W. Palmer, task force coordinator.

Anyone who is arrested or receives a summons for DWI, drug DUI or breath test refusal is encouraged to contact a qualified drunk driving defense lawyer. Every one of the attorneys at The Law Offices of John Marshall are certified in the operation and maintenance of the Alcotest device, as well as the standardized field sobriety tests established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A small minority of New Jersey law firms can make this claim. We have the experience and background to represent individuals accused of drunk driving anywhere in New Jersey, which is why clients turn to us for highly skilled legal assistance.

Task force conducting DWI checkpoint in Deal this weekend, APP.com, July 2, 2009

Any small craft captain worth his salt knows it's boating season, but before you power up your twin inboard, take a moment to scan the horizon and double-check your alcoholic beverage intake. This weekend, from Sandy Hook to Cape May, the New Jersey State Police will be patrolling offshore in search of intoxicated boat operators. And just like DWI for landlubbers, being arrested for boating under the influence (or BUI) can be a costly experience.

Drunk boating, like drunk driving, is enforced by local and state police units. This latest campaign, christened "Operation Dry Water," begins today and runs through Sunday, June 28. It's a combined effort between the New Jersey State Police and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and designed to hook skippers piloting their craft under the influence of alcohol in state waters, which includes bays and the ocean up to three miles out.

According to the USCG, enforcement will be heaviest in the Atlantic City and Cape May areas, with sobriety checkpoints set up at various points on the water. In addition to BUI offenses, law enforcement personnel will be looking for anyone navigating recklessly or carelessly. Those observed exhibiting drunken behavior should be prepared to be boarded and examined for intoxication.

In New Jersey, boaters can lose their boating privileges for one year and their automobile driver's license as well. That's three months for a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more, and seven months for 0.10 percent or more. You should know that while New Jersey does not confiscate boats of those captains who are arrested for BUI, other states do confiscate watercraft.

Authorities also will usually administer field sobriety tests, although they can be somewhat different from those conducted on dry land. And although they do not want to give away their tactics in detail for this coming weekend, law enforcement agencies say their goal is not to arrest boaters so much as to educate them about the BUI problem.

One message authorities are pushing is that alcohol has an enhanced effect on the water. According to experts, the glaring sun, waves, motion of the boat and other influences aboard a boat only help the body absorb alcohol faster. This can impair an individual's motor functions, reaction time, judgment and other critical boating skills.

Continue reading "New Jersey State Police to Reel In Drunk Boat Captains this Summer" »