Union County DWI Defense

August 25, 2013

Summer’s Not Over; Neither is the Opportunity for a Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Arrest

Anyone who has been arrested for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will understand that it is not something one ever looks forward to. However, with the help of an experienced DWI defense attorney — one skilled in New Jersey drunk driving law and experienced in representing individuals in a courtroom — the most harrowing part of being the defendant in a DWI case may be alleviated to some extent.

At the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, our legal team offers decades of collective DWI, drug DUI, and criminal defense experience. Whether one is charged with driving while intoxicated by alcohol, impaired by prescription meds or illegal drugs, breath test refusal or any number of drunk driving-related offenses, our lawyers are ready to help.

One thing that most drivers don’t necessarily understand is that BWI, otherwise referred to as “boating under the influence” or BUI, carries with it similar penalties to the automotive equivalent, DUI or DWI. Our familiarity with New Jersey DUI/DWI law allows us to represent both drivers and boaters who have been accused of operating their vehicles while allegedly intoxicated by alcohol, doctor-prescribed medications or illicit drugs (sometimes called controlled dangerous substances, or CDS).
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August 21, 2013

Cranford, NJ, Drunken Driving Police Blotter: Officers Take in Several Drivers for Alleged DWI

by Jonathan F. Marshall

In the course of driving throughout the Garden State, there’s a good chance that a percentage of motorists have seen roadside traffic stops from time to time. Whether those police stops are conducted at night or during the daytime; on the parkway or in the city, every week there are numerous New Jersey and out-of-state drivers who are stopped by state troopers or municipal cops for what may appear to be a rather minor traffic violation, but which ends up costing those people hundreds or thousands of dollars.

We’re talking, of course, about those traffic stops that develop into an alcohol or drug-related arrest. While not every police stop ends in an arrest for DWI or a summons for drug DUI, many New Jersey motorists in counties such as Bergen, Ocean and Monmouth discover the hard way that drinking and driving can land them in a courtroom to explain themselves before a judge.

This is where my law firm comes into play. As DWI defense attorneys and experienced trial lawyers, my legal staff understands this state’s drunken driving laws. We also understand the way in which otherwise law-abiding individuals can find themselves in the back of a police cruiser on the way to the local police department for a breath test and possible charges. Regardless of the final determination — be it impaired driving due to beer, wine or liquor; or some controlled dangerous substance (CDS) such as marijuana, cocaine or meth – the costs can be high.
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August 7, 2013

Union County Police Blotter: Intoxicated Drivers and Drug DUI Offenders Arrested

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Among the more common traffic stops here in the Garden State are those for speeding, improper lane change, faulty vehicle equipment and others. For a fair percentage of those drivers stopped for a relatively minor traffic offense, there are no serious repercussions; however, a segment of the driving public can end their day in some instances with a court summons for drunken driving. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, we understand how easy it truly is to find oneself on the wrong end of the law.

It’s no secret that intoxicated driving is a common and year-round problem for many municipalities across the Garden State. But the incidence of impaired vehicle operation can certainly become more so during the warm-weather months. I and my colleagues recognize this and offer the following news items as examples of the random, yet hardly infrequent kinds of DWI and drug DUI arrests here in New Jersey.

Whether one lives or works in Union County, the circumstances surrounding alcohol-related traffic offenses always seem to be similar, if only because they usually begin with a basic traffic infraction or other driver mistake leading to a police stop. Here are just a few examples:
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August 4, 2013

Beware the Defective Equipment Traffic Stop: Saving a Few Dollars Now Could Cost Thousands Later On

by Jonathan F. Marshall

How many times have you seen a driver ahead of you in traffic with a burned-out taillight? While it may seem insignificant to some, a simple $10 light bulb could cause big trouble down the road. Never mind the accident potential of a non-working brake lamp or a faulty turn signal, just consider the cost of a defective equipment ticket. Oh, you say, a couple hundred bucks or so, I’m too busy. And, really, what are the odds? Well, in our experience, the odds are pretty good that something may happen before that bulb gets replaced.

But what if a driver, who happens to have avoided fixing that turn signal or brake light bulb, finds out the hard way that he just maybe had a little too much to drink with his buddies at the bar? That burned-out bulb is now one big red flag for a municipal patrolman or state trooper. Unfortunately, by the time this scenario plays out, the cost of that little bulb may have gone up quite a bit depending on the circumstances. In any case, it’s safe to that driver will be into the state for more than the $10 or $20 it would have cost to fix that light in the first place.

As New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys, we understand that human nature can get in the way of doing the right thing from time to time. We’ve represented numerous drivers over the years who may have indulged themselves a bit too much when they should have eased off. It’s difficult to know exactly how much alcohol is in one’s bloodstream or whether a person has consumed enough food at lunch or dinner offset the wine he or she drank.
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July 24, 2013

Union County DWI Police Blotter: Fanwood, Garwood and Summit Police Make Multiple Drunk Driving Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It’s easy to become incensed about a traffic ticket, especially for an individual who has never before been face to face with a municipal patrolman or a state trooper; authority figures who essentially tell a that person that he was, plain and simple, in the wrong. But imagine not only being told you were wrong, but that you were being arrested for your mistake as the officer saw it. It’s not hard to see that many an otherwise law-abiding citizen might lose his cool under such circumstances.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my firm is well versed in the laws of this state as they apply to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of beer, wine, hard liquor, and even prescription medications or illicit drugs. With more than 100 years of collective litigation experience, I and my colleagues take our jobs very seriously when it comes to representing the interests of clients who have been accused of drunken driving, breath test refusal, CDS possession in a vehicle, drug DUI and other DWI-DUI cases.

While many of our clients are first-time offenders, there is no lack of people who find themselves in similar situations each and every day. Alcohol and drug-related traffic arrests are made by police constantly all across the Garden State. We are asked quite often by potential clients if an officer needs a warrant to make a drunk driving arrest. The short answer is actually, No.
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July 18, 2013

New Jersey DWI News: Garden State Drivers Becoming More Aware of Drunk Driving Consequences

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As long as DWI checkpoints and sobriety roadblocks have been used in this state there have been detractors who ask if the cost in equipment, manpower and officer overtime is really worth the effort of bringing in a handful of alleged drunken drivers from time to time. Here in the Garden State, the random operation of sobriety checkpoints certainly has given more than one driver pause to get behind the wheel of his or her car following an evening with friends at a restaurant, bar or private residence.

As long-time DWI defense attorneys, I and my team of experienced trial lawyers have dedicated ourselves to helping those motorists who believe that they did not deserve being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One of the many ways in which New Jersey drivers end up in front of a municipal or county judge is when they are arrested for DWI or drug DUI at one of the numerous drunk driving roadblocks that go up on weekends and during various national holidays.

Although law enforcement agencies throughout the state have it in their authority to set up sobriety roadblocks, there are limitations and rules that must be followed. For example, the police are required by law to place a public announcement (stating when and where) prior to the erection of any sobriety or DWI checkpoint. Furthermore, the placement of these roadblocks must be in an area that has a history of prior DWI activity; in other words, they cannot be placed anywhere the police authorities choose.
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July 12, 2013

Advanced Patrol Car Electronics and Instant Access to Statewide Motor Vehicle Databases Give Police an Edge

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Back in what some of us might call the good ol’ days, having an out-of-date license plate tag or being tardy in making an auto insurance payment was a secret that could mostly be kept to oneself, at least until a driver broke a traffic law right in front of a cop. But that’s hardly the case anymore. These days, the information age can quickly catch up to those procrastinating motorists and other drivers for whom the calendar is merely a seasonal guidepost. For those who might not worry so much about driving their vehicle while possibly intoxicated, whether they know it or not, Big Brother is watching.

As we’ve explained in the past, New Jersey state law defines when it is legal for a police officer to stop a motorist on the roadway, after which a drunk driving summons may be forthcoming depending on the officer’s suspicions and observations of the driver. But having a hunch that a motorist may be inebriated behind the wheel of his or her vehicle is not sufficient legal grounds in the Garden State for a patrolman to stop a vehicle. Acting on the suspicion that an individual is impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs (drug DUI) should only come into play following a legitimate traffic stop.

But what does it take to cause a municipal policeman or a New Jersey state trooper to decide that a driver is in violation of one or more traffic laws? Simple observation can result in a routine police stop if the officer in charge sees an obvious violation, such as an illegal U-turn, failure to yield at a stop sign, even cutting through a parking lot to avoid waiting at an intersection. These and many other scenarios are all typical ways in which New Jersey drivers are constantly getting into hot water with the police.
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July 10, 2013

NJ Police Blotter: DWI Arrests Include Suspect Fleeing from Drunk Driving Stop in Union County

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Here in the Garden State, motorists are not lacking in choice when it comes to selecting a drunk driving defense attorney to representing their interests following a DWI or drug DUI arrest. Whether it’s a routine traffic stop that results in a summons for impaired driving or multi-car accident that points to a driver being drunk behind the wheel, an unending procession of intoxicated driving and prescription drug-related DUI cases is constantly marching through New Jersey courtrooms almost every day.

As experienced drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my staff of skilled trial attorneys have the legal background and professional experience that brings results. The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall provides clients with legal representation in cases involving drunken driving, drug-impaired vehicle operation, possession of illegal or controlled dangerous substance (CDS), and breath test refusal, just to name a few.

Especially here in New Jersey, where stiff DWI fines and other penalties await those convicted of driving while intoxicated, there is a large number of anti-drunk driving road patrols and sobriety checkpoints (also known as DWI roadblocks) that occur on a regular basis, both in the summer months and at various times during the year when a major holiday suggests a higher-than-normal frequency of drunken drivers on the roadways.

June 5, 2013

Jersey Police Blotter: Monmouth and Union County Police Issue DWI, CDS Possession and DUI Summonses

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Having defended hundreds of motorists over the years, my law firm’s legal team literally has decades of trial and courtroom experience under its collective belt. As such, we understand how typically law-abiding citizens can find themselves facing a drunk driving charge for the very first time. Most people charged with DWI probably did not start the day thinking that they were going to operate their vehicle while intoxicated. Even more likely never considered the possibility of being arrested on the spot for drunk driving or drug DUI.

Sadly, the time when all the would-a, should-a, could-a thoughts come streaming through one’s mind is about the same time as the officer in charge asks that you step out of the car to perform a field sobriety test. At that point, considering whether or not to drive after taking even one drink prior to heading home is a little overdue.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my colleagues devote ourselves to defending the rights of those individuals who have been accused of breaking the law. Our job is to represent individuals charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence of beer, wine, hard liquor and any other alcoholic beverage. The same goes for those drivers accused of being impaired by doctor-prescribed meds (drug DUI), certain illegal substances or even possessing a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), such as cocaine, meth or marijuana in an automobile.
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June 3, 2013

Contemplating Drinking and Driving in New Jersey? Consider How Zealous DWI Enforcement Here Can Be

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several decades you probably know almost intuitively that municipal patrolmen, as well as our New Jersey state troopers, all have a very keen eye for potentially impaired motorists. Making one’s way onto public roads in any condition other than fully sober can be a risky proposition not only in terms of safety to you, your passengers, and others on the road as well, but also financially.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff of skilled legal professionals have for many years been protecting the rights of individuals accused of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs (drug DUI). My legal team understands drunk driving law and the potential fines associated with a conviction for any number of alcohol-related offenses.

Another thing that we know from our decades of collective courtroom experience is that law enforcement officers and the prosecutors who handle drunk driving cases tend to have a singular goal of catching, convicting and punishing motorists who get behind the wheel of a car or truck while intoxicated. Whether it’s alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication, or illegal substances, the law has strict rules for dealing with offenders.
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