DWI Injury Accident

April 2, 2014

New Jersey Law Enforcement’s Pursuit of Drunken Drivers Unlikely to Abate

We see it quite frequently; the various anti-drunk driving campaigns accompanied by enhanced enforcement, such as saturation patrols during major holidays and late-night sobriety roadblocks on the weekends. In short, the apparent war on intoxicated motorists continues at a fairly regular and deliberate pace here in the Garden State. As New Jersey DWI and drug DUI defense attorneys, we know from experience that local police and state patrol officers take their roles very seriously when it comes to pursuing those drivers who may be inebriated behind the wheel.

Some drivers find themselves pulled over in the middle of traffic simply because they appeared to be wandering in their lane, when the reason could have been a minor distraction in the vehicle. Others might end up being flagged off the road at one of the many random roadside DWI checkpoints that seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. Regardless of the circumstances, however, if an office suspects a motorist to be even a slight bit drunk or otherwise impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs — never mind illegal substances like marijuana or cocaine — the gloves will come off an a much more intensive investigation will typically commence.

Of course, sometimes the police have reason to be suspicious of a driver’s condition, much less his motivation to avoid being picked up by officers for whatever kind of offense. Considering the reputation that New Jersey’s police have when drunk driving or drug DUI is involved, some people with a lot to lose will test the will of those law enforcement officers. Take the story of a Hamilton, NJ, driver who attempted to run from police following an alleged drunken driving accident along a portion of Interstate 95 last December.
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March 26, 2014

Toms River DWI Blotter: Local Drivers Charged with Hit-and-Run, Drug Possession, and DWI

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A Toms River resident was tracked down by police after witnesses apparently saw the man’s late-model Toyota drive away from a car accident along a portion of Rte 37 early on a Monday morning. According to news reports, township patrolmen arrived at the scene of the crash, which took place at the intersection of Rte 37 and Garfield Ave. By the time officers had gotten to the accident site, the hit-and-run driver was already gone. The 6:30am wreck involved a Ford Explorer driven by a Bayville man, who was stopped at a red light when the impact occurred.

With the assistance of a witness to the incident, police searched for the hit-and-run driver, who was found shortly thereafter. Based on police reports, the man had apparently hit another vehicle as he fled the earlier crash scene. That collision took place near the intersection of Garfield and Delaware Ave., in the area of East Dover. Eventually, police were able to pull the man over near Fischer Blvd. and Windsor Ave., after which it was determined that the 31-year-old local resident was allegedly intoxicated behind the wheel.

As a result, the suspect was arrested and eventually charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The man was also reportedly charged with criminal possession of the drug Suboxone, for which he did not have a prescription. As Garden State DWI and drug DUI lawyers, my legal team has handled numerous cases involving drug DUI and possession. This particular instance is certainly a more complicated situation considering the two hit-and-runs.
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February 15, 2014

Monmouth Motorist Suspected of DWI after Head-on Crash in Ocean County

by Jonathan F. Marshall

We have mentioned this more than once in this forum, but again, it bear repeating: Getting behind the wheel of an automobile is a foolhardy venture to start with, but complicating a certain drunk driving arrest with a serious traffic accident is something that will only makes a DWI defense all the more difficult. As Garden State trial attorneys experienced in drunk driving and drug DUI law, we know how thorny a drunk driving case can be when the defendant has injured or killed another individual in the process.

It doesn’t make much, if any, difference where a collision involving alcohol or drugs takes place; be it in Mercer, Union, Bergen or Atlantic County, when a motorist is facing a combination of drunken driving charges plus vehicular assault (or worse, death by auto), the job of any DWI-DUI attorney will be made that much difficult by the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Yet, in spite of common sense and public service campaigns to the contrary, dozens of people find themselves in similarly serious legal predicaments every month. Here in the Garden State, driving while intoxicated is not looked upon with any sympathy by the police, the courts or the community at large. The attitude of society for those who cause a serious injury accident, and most certainly a fatal traffic collision, often borders between contempt and hatred.
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November 29, 2013

Garden State Drunk Driving News: Two Separate DWI Accidents Results in Multiple Injuries

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Having defended hundreds of motorists accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, my colleagues and I believe that anyone who is charged with a traffic infraction, civil offense or criminal action deserves the right to fight those charges in a court of law. Here in the Garden State, drunken driving is one of the more serious traffic-related offenses with which a person may be charged.

Furthermore, as experienced DWI defense attorneys, we believe that there are very few, if any, reasons for a drunken driving defendant to walk into a New Jersey courtroom without proper representation. The law can be complex; when it comes to serious DWI and drug DUI charges, for which there are rather stiff penalties if convicted, retaining a qualified lawyer with years of trial experience is an important consideration.

At the law offices of Jonathan f. Marshall, our legal team is skilled in representing clients who have been charged with any one of a wide range of drunk driving offenses, including breath test refusal, drug DUI and possession charges. As most anyone should know regarding drunk driving and other DUI-related violations, there is no sense in making a bad situation worse by involving others in one’s mistake. Being accused of a drunken driving accident presents one of the more difficult legal situations.
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November 20, 2013

Police Say Deceased Monmouth County Man’s License was Suspended at Time of Alleged DWI Crash

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Compounding any traffic offense with an injury accident is never a good situation. As a former municipal prosecutor, and now a professional drunk driving defense attorney, I understand the desire by police officers and our court system to punish motorists convicted of DWI or drug DUI. When an automobile collision is also involved, the stakes increase by a like amount.

As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, my colleagues and I are ready and willing to assist those individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs; even illicit substances like cocaine, meth and marijuana. We do know that our job will be complicated when a DWI-related car, truck or motorcycle wreck also involves a serious injury or death. My law firm has represented many clients who have been hit with an impaired driving charge in addition to possible vehicular assault.

Here in the Garden State, local and state police take a very dim view of motorists who even have the slightest appearance of intoxication. The same goes for the courts. New Jersey DWI law provides for stiff penalties for those convicted of intoxicated driving. One of the numerous penalties is the loss of driving privileges for a period of time. Considering the value that most people place on their mobility and personal independence vis-à-vis their automobile, license suspension can be a serious hardship.
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November 18, 2013

Garden State DWI News: School Bus Driver Sues Police After Being Accused of Drunken Driving

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Most likely any parent of school-aged children would feel rather uncomfortable having their kids shuttled about by a person who was impaired by alcohol or drugs. The fact of the matter is, because we value our children and the promise they hold for the future, school systems and motor coach companies have strict requirements for anyone who drives young children around. At the same time, as experienced trial attorneys, my colleagues and I believe that anyone who is charged with a crime, civil or criminal, deserves the right to challenge those accusations in a court of law.

Without a doubt, drunken driving is one of the more reviled traffic-related offenses that occur on a regular basis here in the Garden State. As New Jersey DWI-DUI defense lawyers, our job is to represent defendants who have been accused of an offense such as operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of beer, wine, liquor or prescription drugs. Our law offices also take on clients who have been charged with marijuana DUI or possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) in a car or truck.

We understand all too well how being accused of DWI or drug DUI can ruin one’s standing in his or her community or destroy professional relationships; never mind the loss of one’s career following a possible conviction for drinking and driving or drug-impaired motor vehicle operation. As it stands, those individuals whose job it is to drive a taxi cab, livery sedan, airport shuttle or school bus can suffer greatly once a charge of DWI or DUI has been levied. The potential loss of income following a conviction can be devastating to any professional driver.
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October 2, 2013

Gloucester County Drunk Driving News: DWI Traffic Accident and Numerous DWI-DUI Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Pick almost any community from across the Garden State and you will likely see at least a handful of drunk driving incidents occur there nearly every month. Being the most densely populated state in the Union, it is hardly surprising that New Jersey state troopers and local cops make more than 20,000 DWI arrests every year. Add to that the nearly 200 fatal accidents that make up about a third of all deadly roadway collisions and anyone can see that DWI-DUI enforcement is backed by both the public and the government.

Whether one is talking about Middlesex County, Bergen County, Ocean County or Atlantic County, the incidences of police traffic stops that result in an arrest for intoxicated driving or drug-related impaired operation of a motor vehicle is based on the number of individuals who are drunk on the road at the time. While a police officer is prohibited by law from stopping a driver only on the basis of a hunch that the person is inebriated, if there is a traffic violation, the door can be opened to a potential DUI-DWI arrest.

As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, we fully understand the trepidation that many motorists feel after being served with a summons for drunk driving. The prospect of going before a judge, with a prosecutor and the arresting officer more or less gunning for that individual can put a certain amount of stress on a person. As DWI attorneys, my colleagues and I are always ready to assist accused drunk drivers fight for their rights in court.
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September 28, 2013

Bergen County DWI News: Don’t Mix Drinking and Driving with Vehicular Assault

by Jonathan F. Marshall

There are few situations in life that can result in an average citizen facing serious legal consequences than allegedly being the cause of an injury-related auto accident involving possible drinking and driving or drug use. As DWI defense attorneys, my colleagues and I understand how a simple night out on the town can wind up with a driver behind bars and hit with a variety of alcohol- or drug-related offenses.

We know that New Jersey state troopers and municipal police officers are hardly sympathetic to motorists who even hint at being impaired behind the wheel. That said, as DUI-DWI defense lawyers representing persons throughout the Garden State who have been accused of drunken driving, we can also say that adding vehicular assault to the charges is a whole new story. While a conviction for simple drunk driving may result in monetary fines, fees and assessments, injuring another person in a drug- or alcohol-related crash can make a DWI case all the more serious.

Take two instances of alcohol-related collisions that we have come across in the recent past. In one incident, police reports indicated that a driver from Passaic, NJ, was placed on probation following a DWI-related car crash that resulted in injuries to three individuals; one in the defendant’s car and two others in the other vehicle. The accident occurred in the Cliffside Park area when the 51-year-old defendant, who worked as a home health aide, reportedly rear-ended a Toyota Camry along a stretch of Palisade Ave at Walker St. while the other car was waiting for a red light.
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September 20, 2013

Ignition Interlocks: The Current Reality for Many Convicted New Jersey Drunken Driving Offenders

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It’s safe to say that most people who have more than a few decades under their belts may have seen and experienced quite a bit in their life so far. That said, it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that being arrested by a police officer for anything would be a relatively scary proposition for almost anyone, not the least an average law-abiding citizen. The last thing that anybody wants is to be branded as is a scofflaw, or worse, a criminal.

But being arrested for a DWI or drug DUI is exactly what thousands of Garden State residents experience every year in this state. Having been stopped for a traffic violation can rattle most any motorist, but to find oneself being placed in the back of a patrol car and taken to police headquarters for a breathalyzer test and possible drunken driving charges, well that can be a downright frightening experience.

Not only can a DWI-DUI arrest be unnerving, but having been charged and then facing the serious consequences of a drunk driving conviction the potentially expensive penalties that go along with a guilty verdict can weigh on a person. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I truly understand what the average person is facing when that squad car door slams shut and the ride to police headquarters begins. Maybe you won’t be charged with driving while intoxicated, but many people are and those odds aren’t comforting.
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September 8, 2013

Drinking and Driving in New Jersey can have Multiple Consequences for All Involved

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I know the serious consequences that can be associated with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The attorneys at my law office have for years been legal representatives of accused DWI-DUI drivers; we have acted in this capacity for long enough to know that getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after having a drink or two can be more than a risky proposition, it can lead to an injury-related car accident or a fatal traffic collision.

Aside from these mostly unthinkable results of impaired driving, the odds of being arrested by a state police trooper or a local patrolman increase with the frequency of driving while potentially intoxicated. As a matter of fact, we often advise friends and associates to always consider the potential downside of operating a car, truck or motorcycle if one has had anything to drink prior to getting behind the wheel.

This warning goes the same for individuals who are taking prescription drugs or other narcotic substances. There is little to be gained by venturing out onto public roads when you may be stopped by a state trooper or local patrolman for some minor traffic offense, only to be slapped with a DWI or drug DUI. The personal and professional embarrassment, potential financial impact and the possible daily troubles associated with the loss of one’s license should all be motivating factors for any driver who thinks he is immune from detection, arrest or conviction for DWI or DUI.
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