Underage DWI

May 22, 2012

Prom, Graduation and Summer Vacation: Parents Beware the Season of Underage Drinking in New Jersey

Now that summer is practically here, youngsters all over the Garden State — from junior high to high school will surely be hitting the malls, the seaside and local gathering spots to celebrate yet another school year ended. This is all well and good, but parents of some teens know all too well that new-found freedom for some is an invitation to misbehave for others.

Mothers and fathers across New Jersey, and elsewhere around the nation, understand how the start of summer can offer up new opportunities for some teens and underage drivers to experiment with alcohol, not to mention marijuana and other narcotic substances.

While some say that teen drinking is part and parcel of the coming-of-age experience, the state of New Jersey has strict rules on its law books that prohibit underage drinking, not to mention simply the possession of alcohol by a minor. As a New Jersey DWI lawyer, I and my legal staff (including a team of highly experienced drunken driving defense attorneys) know all too well that kids, like adults, can find themselves in certain situations that lead inevitably to an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription medications (drug DUI).
Continue reading

May 16, 2012

Teen Drinking and Driving: A Dangerous Activity to Start, but with Legal Implications Later in Life

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Some might say that teen drinking is an inevitable part of growing up; a literal rite of passage. However, the State of New Jersey has other thoughts regarding underage drinking, not to mention underage DWI. If parents have a difficult time trying to get their children to follow the law in this regard, perhaps it might be a good idea to explain that underage alcohol drinking or even simple possession of beer, wine or hard liquor can have an effect on a young person’s future driving privileges.

As we said, there are rules on New Jersey’s law books that prohibit underage drinking as well as possession of alcohol by any minor. As New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys, I and my colleagues understand how teens and pre-teen, just like adults, can make mistakes with alcohol that can land them in front of a judge. Whether it’s DWI or drug DUI, depending on the particular situation, it is usually advisable to contact a qualified DWI attorney to better understand one’s options.

An underage DWI arrest can lead to a potentially damaging underage drinking (DWI) conviction, which could haunt an individual onward into adulthood. Any young person on the verge of adulthood would be well advised to head his or her parents’ advice to wait to take that first drink. And since New Jersey’s state legislature has already written statutes that preclude a minor from engaging in underage drinking, why even take that chance?
Continue reading

May 12, 2012

Many New Jersey Cities to Tighten Up DWI Patrols During High School Graduation, Prom Season

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Most likely we didn’t really have to tell you, since many of you already expected this, but police agencies all over the Garden State will be busy this month enforcing anti-drunk driving laws with an eye toward the state’s high school graduates and other celebrants. As New Jersey DWI and drug DUI defense attorneys, my firm has the in-depth skills and decades of collective legal experience to represent individuals accused of drunk driving, driving under the influence of doctor-prescribed medication, and even operating a motor vehicle while impaired by an illicit substance, such as cocaine, meth or marijuana.

That said, it’s also important to point out that, as DWI defense lawyers, we also have experience in the area of underage drunk driving and alcohol possession by a minor. As one might expect, being tagged by the police for DWI as an adult can be serious and expensive business, but being arrested as a teenager for drinking and driving can also have its own drawbacks later on.

We’ve spoken of this on numerous occasions, but the reason we mention it today is that senior prom season is in full swing this month. What with thousands of teens saying goodbye to high school and staring their future in the face, it’s not hard to understand how some of those kids might be inclined to take a drink in advance of reaching full legal age. While understandable to some adults (parents included), the so-called rite of passage represented by drinking alcohol is actually illegal in the Garden State. But as with many laws, there will always be those who decide to flout the law and take their chances.

April 25, 2012

Garden State Police Blotter: Multiple DWI Arrests, Drug Possession Charges and Alcohol-related Driving Offenses

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As we usually see here in the Garden State, not all is sweetness and light on our city streets and highways. While many motorists go about their lives in relative anonymity, the occasional traffic stop is enough to bring one’s name into the local spotlight, if only in the police blotter section of the newspapers. For many, the seemingly inconsequential second or third drink during lunch or dinner can sometimes result in a police arrest and DWI-DUI charges being pressed against an otherwise law-abiding citizen.

As New Jersey DWI defense attorneysI and my legal staff know what can happen when a driver makes a minor mistake in clear view of a state of local police officer. If that individual has recently consumed even a small amount of alcohol, the potential of a DWI arrest is waiting just one wrong turn away in some cases.

Although it is not legal for a patrolman to stop a car simply on the suspicion that its driver is impaired by alcohol (such as beer, wine or hard liquor), doctor-prescribed medication (like pain killers and other opiates), or an illicit substance (such as marijuana, meth or cocaine), what must first occur is a vehicle infraction or driving-related offense.
Continue reading

April 5, 2012

Morris County Drinking and Driving News: New Jersey Teenager Arrested for Underage DWI in Parsippany, NJ

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being stopped by a police officer as a teenage driver can be a harrowing experience. And while inexperienced drivers can be expected to make a driving error from time to time, doing so while being drunk can mean big troubles now and in the future. Not only is underage DWI a chargeable offense in the Garden State, simply drinking or even possessing alcohol as a teenager or underage adult is grounds for an arrest.

As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, we understand that an underage DWI, DUI or breath-test refusal is no way to begin one’s foray into adulthood. As we have said on numerous other occasions, being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication (drug DUI) is a serious enough offense without compounding it by being a teen. Parents take note, since most youngsters do not always realize the potentially injurious nature that a DWI conviction can mean to one in the future.

Without a doubt, it is always safer to consult with a qualified DWI lawyer to best understand the impact that any drunken driving conviction can have; in many respects, an underage DWI, DUI or refusal conviction can have even a greater impact than if the defendant was of age and caught for drunken driving for the first time. Suffice it to say that a conviction for DWI is just no way to start out one’s adult life.
Continue reading

March 30, 2012

New Jersey Police Blotter: Bergen DWI, DUI and Underage Drinking Arrests in Wyckoff, Glen Rock

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Every day of every week, all across New Jersey, state police and local law enforcement officers make multiple arrests of drivers whom they suspect of being intoxicated by alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication (drug DUI), and sometimes even illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana and meth. While many of these individuals may have had a drink prior to getting behind the wheel, not all of them were necessarily legally drunk at the time of the traffic stop.

As Garden State DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff of legal professionals have decades of collective experience representing people charged with drunken driving in counties such as Ocean, Sussex, Union and Passaic. A percentage of these individuals who have been charged with DWI, drug DUI, refusal to take a breathalyzer test, and other traffic-related infractions, may actually be found guilty. Others may not.

One thing is certain: Here in New Jersey, fines and penalties for drunken driving can be harsh and highly punitive. Some of the most costly aspects of a drunken driving conviction is the potential increase of a driver’s auto insurance premium; this can equal thousands of dollars a year on top of an individuals “normal” insurance costs.
Continue reading

March 17, 2012

Bergen County Police Blotter: Elmwood Park and Wyckoff Patrolmen Arrest Motorists for Drunken Driving, Drug Possession

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Numerous police arrests are made every day across the Garden State against drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or some other intoxicated substance. While a fair percentage of these DWI and drug DUI arrests are perhaps warranted, many others are based on less than substantial evidence. As a former municipal prosecutor here in New Jersey, and now as a drunken driving defense attorney, I find that a percentage of motorists charged with drunk driving will not be found guilty, or will have the charges against them reduced.

While nothing in this world is guaranteed, one thing is certain: if you drive drunk in Jersey long enough, you will be caught at some point, either by the New Jersey State Police or another, local police agency. Please understand that there are severe penalties for drunk driving, drug DUI (such as being impaired by prescription meds or illicit drugs like marijuana and meth) or even breath test refusal.

Of course, the first step is being stopped by a police officer or state trooper. After this, the actual DWI or DUI arrest process may begin in earnest. Every week the news carries updates on local police arrests, much of which can be instructive regarding the typical circumstances that can surround a drunk driving arrest. The following items from Bergen County, NJ, are fairly typical of the kinds of DWI police stops that happen daily. While every drunken driving arrest is unique, most every one begins with a traffic stop by an officer of the law.
Continue reading

February 5, 2012

Union County Police Blotter: Cranford, NJ, Police Arrests include DWI, Drug DUI and Underage Drinking

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Regardless of which county one drives in — Passaic, Middlesex, Union or Mercer — a drunk driving arrest is only an errant lane change away, or for that matter a burned-out headlamp or rolling stop. The fact of the matter is, here in the Garden State, driving with even a couple drinks under one’s belt can quickly become a trip to police headquarters for a breathalyzer test and possible booking on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Naturally, drunken driving is one of the many traffic offenses out there, but impaired driving due to prescription medications or illicit drugs (drug DUI) are other ways in which a driver can find him or herself in trouble with the law. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my colleagues have represented numerous motorists charged with driving under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor.

As experienced drunken driving defense attorneys, my firm handles numerous drunken driving and drug DUI cases, as well as breath test refusal and underage drinking offenses. No matter where one lives or works in New Jersey, being arrested for DWI or DUI can be a serious matter and not to be taken lightly. The following police blotter items illustrate some of the typical drunk driving-related and other police arrests that occur on a regular basis throughout the state.
Continue reading

January 22, 2012

Passaic County DWI Legal News: Three New Jersey Teens Injured in West Milford Drunken Driving Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

While I and my legal staff are experienced in the defense of motorists accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, we fully understand the dangers of operating a motor vehicle while in an impaired state. Whether one lives in Morris, Ocean, Atlantic or Monmouth County, the law treats every potential offender with the same statutes, fines and penalties. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, my firm knows that when it comes to underage drinking and driving, the situation can be just as serious, and sometimes more so, than if the defendant was an adult.

Here in the Garden State, the law provides for a “zero-tolerance” policy where underage drinking and driving is concerned. As set forth in N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.14, it is against the law for an individual under the age of 21 years to have ANY alcohol in their system while driving a motor vehicle. On the upside, if one can call it that, the law stipulates more relaxed monetary penalties and suspension periods for a young person convicted of underage DWI; these penalties are certainly less severe for an underage offender than those that apply to a driver of legal drinking age convicted of driving while intoxicated.

When considering underage DWI convictions, penalties can include a driver’s license suspension period of as little as 30 days compared to that of an adult DWI conviction of 90 days, at a minimum. Please keep in mind that although the penalties are reduced, it is usually wise to consult a qualified drunken driving defense attorney prior to showing up in court with one’s child accused of underage DWI.
Continue reading

November 2, 2011

Monmouth County Drunk Driving News: Teens’ Car Strikes Police Car at DWI Checkpoint, Officer Injured

by Jonathan F. Marshall

There are always a few things that you don’t want to happen when it comes to driving drunk here in the Garden State. First, underage drinking (and even underage possession of alcohol) should be avoided since it can affect a youngster’s future without him or her even knowing it. Second, if one is bound and determined to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication (drug DUI), don’t hit a police patrol car or injure an officer while you’re at it.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff of experienced drunken driving attorneys understand that kids experiment with all manner of things and activities. Some are harmless, some simply embarrassing; but drinking and driving as a minor can put a real dent in one’s future. Of course, teenagers are not always receptive to this message, so it really goes out to all the parents.

This warning applies to families all across the state. Whether you live in Atlantic, Sussex, Ocean or Passaic County, DWI and drug DUI can be costly, not only financially but in terms of being potentially damaging to one’s social standing and career prospects as well. For teens, an arrest for DWI or drug DUI can affect individuals in their adult years as well, which makes it advisable to contact a qualified drunk driving defense attorney to better understand the charges against your underage son or daughter.

Earlier this month, two teenagers ended up in trouble at one of the many roadside DWI checkpoints that appear from time to time across the state. This one, in Monmouth County, was about to go into operation by the Holmdel police. According to news reports, police were setting up the roadblock when the incident occurred just before midnight.
Continue reading