Middlesex County DWI Defense

December 12, 2010

Intoxicated Drivers Warned about New Jersey’s Plans for Holiday DWI Crackdown

In-state and out-of-state drunken drivers take note, the State of New Jersey will have an increased police presence on public roads throughout the Garden State as the holidays approach. According to news articles, local and state law enforcement departments in Bergen, Passaic and Ocean County, as well as the rest of the state, will be on the lookout for drivers operating their vehicles while intoxicated.

As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, I and my legal staff represent individuals accused of DWI, prescription drug DUI and breath test refusal on a daily basis. We even council drivers charged with cocaine, and other controlled dangerous substance (CDS) possession. This latest enforcement program, aptly named “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” will bring additional officers to bear on the motoring public during the upcoming holidays.

Aiming to reduce the amount of drunk drivers on the road, the campaign calls for saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints (also known as DWI roadblocks) from December 13 through January 2, 2011, according to officials at New Jersey’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The program reportedly will provide federal grant money of up to $5,000 to each of 115 police departments.

November 19, 2010

Middlesex, NJ, Driver Charged with Drunk Driving and Hit-and-Run near Linden

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It’s never a good idea to leave the scene of a traffic accident, especially when you may have been the cause of the crash. Add to that the possibility of being arrested for drunk driving and the police, much less the court, will have little sympathy for your position. Other circumstances can also make a drunken driving case more involved when compared to other less egregious offenses.

Anytime that a DWI-related traffic accident happens it is always a good idea to seek advice from a qualified legal professional. As a New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyer, I know the law as it applies to DWI and drug DUI charges. Beer, wine, liquor, prescription medication, medication and other controlled dangerous substances can all be the cause of an arrest for driving under the influence. In any case, the potential fines and penalties can be quite onerous for individuals, especially in these difficult economic times.

A drunk driving arrest in Union County, NJ, provides just one example of the kinds of DWI and drug DUI charges that can be lodged against a motorist. In this case, according to a news report, a man was arrested on a Saturday evening after a local police officer stopped the driver of a pickup truck following a report of a hit-and-run accident on West Edgar Road.

November 12, 2010

Legal Defense Update: Somerset County, NJ, Motorist Pulled Over then Fined for Obscured License Plate

by Jonathan F. Marshall

No matter how carefully an individual drives after having a drink or two, there is no guarantee that he or she won’t be stopped by a police officer and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. It takes just a moment and you could be pulled over for the simplest of motor vehicle violations. Once that happens, the officer could notice the smell of alcohol on your breath or some other telltale sign of intoxication.

As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney and former municipal prosecutor, I know the process through which a accused drunk driver must pass to possible conviction for drunken driving. Not only impairment by alcohol, but also prescription drug and marijuana use can land a motorist in police headquarters after an alleged DWI or DUI incident.

As Somerset drunken driving defense lawyers, my staff of highly capable attorneys has the skills and legal training to represent individuals facing possible drunk driving penalties here in the Garden State. That chain of events can begin with the most inconsequential item, like a burned-out headlight or cracked windshield. This is because police all around New Jersey are constantly observing drivers and their vehicles for violations.

Not long ago a Basking Ridge, NJ, driver was ticketed because his vehicle’s license plate was partially obscured, According to reports, although the man was not driving under the influence of alcohol, the incident illustrated how a driver could be stopped for this seemingly minor violation. The entire event occurred at a police checkpoint in Middlesex County, when police issued the man a ticket for a license plate frame that was apparently blocking part of the words on his New Jersey license plate.

According to news reports, the man was in his Toyota 4-Runner passing through a checkpoint on Main Street in Metuchen, NJ. A police officer observed that his inspection sticker was not properly affixed to the car’s windshield. But instead of issuing a ticket for the inspection sticker, patrolmen issued the man a ticket for his license plate frame, which officers alleged was covering some of the words on his New Jersey license plate.
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November 10, 2010

New Jersey Drunk Driving News: Middlesex County Driver Arrested for DWI Following Accident on Route 1

by Jonathan F. Marshall

My suggestion to motorists in New Jersey: Don’t complicate matters by driving drunk with kids in your car. It’s one thing to be pulled over for a DWI or drug DUI while you are traveling solo in Ocean, Atlantic or Passaic County, but law enforcement and the courts take a dim view of drivers who potentially endanger others, especially minors and other small children, by driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs.

New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyer, my job is to represent individuals arrested or charged with driving while intoxicated, whether that is by beer, wine, hard liquor or even marijuana. Even possession of weed in a motor vehicle can net a motorist a hefty fine and other penalties.

A case in point, not long ago a driver involved in a traffic accident along Route 1 was charged with drunk driving by police. During the incident, his wife and two young kids were also in the vehicle. According to news reports, South Brunswick police arrested 28-year-old Jorge Fuentes after determining that he was driving drunk with his wife and children in the car. Not only does this kind of activity lead to a DWI offense, but it also exposes the man to child endangerment charges as well.

October 21, 2010

Monmouth County DWI Police Blotter: Drunk Driving and Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Howell
A 25-year-old Point Pleasant resident was pulled over on Route 9 by police for an unknown traffic violation. In the course of the traffic stop, officers noticed evidence of marijuana either on the woman’s person or in the vehicle. The driver was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, as well as having drug paraphernalia. She was also charged with operating a motor vehicle in possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).

Tinton Falls
Two 19-year-olds from Ocean Township were arrested by police following a chain of events that included a single-car motor vehicle accident on Route 18 in Tinton Falls. According to police reports, one of the teens was driving a car that struck a guardrail. The other teen apparently took the wheel and drove the damaged vehicle away from the scene of the crash, however it broke down on Shafto Road near West Park Ave. The boys called 911 to report the disabled car. When police arrived, officers found a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. It was determined it belonged to the young man who initially crashed the car. Both teens were arrested and charged with drunken driving. They were processed and released pending a court date.

A 19-year-old woman Ocean County woman was pulled by patrolmen over for what was likely a routine traffic violation. During the police stop officers apparently observed evidence of marijuana on the suspect’s person. She was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle. Officers processed the woman and subsequently released her pending a court date.

A 21-year-old Freehold man and a 35-year-old Red Bank woman were arrested in separate locations on the same day, both for driving under the influence of alcohol. The man was pulled over by police for an apparent routine traffic stop on Route 33, while the female driver was stopped along Sycamore Avenue in Tinton Falls. The woman was processed and released pending her day in court.

Wall
In less than a two-week period, nearly a dozen drivers were stopped for various traffic offenses that then ended up with drunken driving arrests. According to news reports, a 21-year-old man from New Egypt was pulled over on Route 138 for DWI; a 49-year-old Long Branch man was stopped and charged with DWI; an 18-year-old Asbury Park youth was stopped along Route 35 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

A 19-year-old out-of-state man was stopped along Belmar Boulevard and arrested for DWI; A 21-year-old Cranbury resident was stopped along Woodfield Avenue by police before being charged with possession of a prescription drug without a prescription; A 48-year-old Freehold man stopped along Route 35 for allegedly driving drunk.
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October 19, 2010

Middlesex County DWI News: Four-time Convicted Drunken Driving Offender Hits Vehicle Driven by New Jersey Policeman

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, I can say that anytime a drunk driving arrest is connected to a motor vehicle accident things are going to be more complicated than a simple drunken driving traffic stop. This is not to say that being pulled over for driving while intoxicated is a walk in the park, but property damage and potential personal injury only make a DWI defense more involved.

Understanding that hitting another car while inebriated will complicate your life, consider recent news reports that described a man who allegedly struck a vehicle driven by a Middlesex County policeman. To make things worse for the driver, he had already been convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol four separate times in the past. Multiple offenses and hitting a police officer — not the best of circumstances to say the least.

According to the news, 43-year-old David Bennett was charged with multiple offenses after his vehicle apparently drifted over the double-yellow center line along Fresh Ponds Road hitting a light truck being driven by 37-year-old Laszlo Nyitrai, a South Brunswick officer who happened to be driving to work at the instant.

August 27, 2010

New Jersey DWI Alert: Drunk Driving Enforcement Increases around NJ for Labor Day Holiday

by Jonathan F. Marshall

With the coming holiday weekend police agencies around the Garden State will be on a heightened alert for partiers and other people driving while intoxicated between picnics and family gatherings. Regardless of the bad economy, drunken driving arrests and summonses are certain to increase in the next couple weeks.

As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney and drunk driver lawyer, my job is to help motorists who have been arrested by state police, municipal patrolmen and other law enforcement personnel for DWI and drug DUI traffic offenses. Many of these arrests occur at so-called sobriety checkpoints, which are frequently set up throughout the New Jersey area.

As part of the upcoming drunk driving enforcement campaign, known as “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” police units have taken to the streets in an effort to cut the instances of driving while under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs.

May 12, 2010

NJ DWI News: Will New Law Increase Police Focus on Young Drivers, Drunk or Otherwise?

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A recently passed law requires drivers under the age of 21 to place a red sticker on their vehicle’s license plates. While the intent of the law appears to be a good-hearted attempt at traffic safety, as a New Jersey DWI defense attorney I tend to side with those claiming the $4 sticker will only invite unwarranted scrutiny and potential discrimination against a segment of the driving public.

When it comes to drunk driving enforcement, New Jersey State Police and municipal police officers are always on the lookout for motorists who may be operating their vehicles while impaired due to alcohol, prescription drugs or controlled dangerous substances (CDS). Young drivers who exhibit traffic behavior suggesting inebriation could quite possibly by singled out due to that red mark on their license plate.

According to an editorial, the new law that took effect on May 1 will must likely lead to discrimination against young drivers which probably wouldn’t happen without a red dot. According to the author, New Jersey is one of the top ten safest states for teenage drivers. Referring to the 2001 law that established a curfew for teenagers and significantly decreased the teen driver accident rates, the editorial asks if there is any good reason to put another law into effect.

April 18, 2010

New Jersey DWI Defense Update: What Every Driver Should Know About Drunk Driving Arrests — Part One

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being drunk on the road is always a risky scenario. But as a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer and former municipal prosecuting attorney, I know that many Motorists get caught up in DWI arrests unexpectedly. Understanding that being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol is just the start of a long process is fine, but knowing that being convicted of driving while intoxicated is something you should avoid if at all possible.

The following may help some motorists in the Garden State avoid the pitfalls and legal troubles of being arrested, charged and convicted of drunken driving. Of course, the entire process starts with being pulled over for impaired driving in the first place. Whether you are eventually charged with DWI, drug DUI, breath test refusal, or other drunk driving violation, a traffic stop comes first.

Some people wonder is under what circumstances a patrolman can pull them over for driving drunk. While the officer in charge may not initially be aware of your alcohol consumption or prescription drug use, he can stop you for any number of reasons associate with violations of traffic law.

December 26, 2009

New Jersey Drinking and Driving Defense Update: Underage DWI and its Consequences

by Jonathan F. Marshall

In New Jersey the law covering underage drinking and driving leaves little to the imagination. An individual must be 21 years of age or older to buy, be in possession or consume any type of alcohol-containing drink or beverage. In short: underage drinking is unequivocally defined as illegal. Because the state has such a strong stance against underage drinking, the legal consequences for this activity are severe under New Jersey law, especially when it comes to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

Whether or not a youth is stopped for DWI, simply being convicted of drinking as a minor could affect that child’s future driving privileges. As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer, I know the negative impact that DWI and underage DWI can have on an individual now and in the future. For kids, this is not an area of the law they would want to experience. As a parent, it would behoove you to talk to your child about the consequences of underage drinking and underage DWI.

In this state, if a person under 21 years old is arrested for purchasing or consuming an alcoholic drink in an establishment licensed to sell alcohol, he or she could be fined $500, as well as lose their driver’s license for up to six months. Parents take note here, because even if your child does not yet have a driver’s license that potential suspension will start when the youngster is first eligible to receive his or her license. Furthermore, a young person who violates underage drinking laws may also be required by the court to attend an alcohol treatment or education program.