New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog

July 13, 2011

July 4th Holiday in Ocean County Nets Lacey Twp. Police with 6 Drunken Driving Arrests

The 4th of July holiday is always a popular time for family and friends to visit the Jersey Shore and enjoy parties and reunions. At times like these, it is inevitable for beer, wine, mixed drinks and hard liquor to be available. As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, I and my colleagues always recommend that people attending such activities have a plan for getting home, or to the next party.

A designated driver is usually a good choice to ensure a sober ride home, not only for one’s safety and peace of mind, but also to avoid situations like the ones we read about in the news almost every day during the summer. This time of year, not only do residents of the Garden State know that you can find a party almost anywhere, but the New Jersey State Police and local municipal patrolmen know that a percentage of drivers on the road are going to be legally drunk.

Keeping tabs on the public roads, it’s not uncommon to see an increase in the number of anti-DWI police patrols looking for potentially drunken drivers. According to news articles, the Lacey Township Police Department arrested half a dozen motorists for driving under the influence during the holiday weekend. What may have been somewhat surprising was that there were not more summonses issued to motorists who may have been operating their vehicle while impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs (drug DUI).

Based on reports, the following traffic stops were made, all of which ended up as DWI-related offenses, in addition to the initial offense. As most people know by now, a police officer must have a valid reason to stop an individual in order to eventually arrest a driver for driving while intoxicated. A DWI arrest usually precipitates from a routine traffic stop for some seemingly minor offense, such as improper turn, burned out tail lamp or failure to maintain one’s lane.

Police reports indicate that a 20-year-old Ocean County driver was stopped following a report of a vehicle being hit along a stretch of Haines St. in Lacey. The driver was charged with drunken driving as well as operating a motor vehicle under a suspended driver’s license, driving with no valid insurance coverage, and operating a vehicle that had no valid registration.
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July 10, 2011

Camden County, NJ, DUI-DWI Defense News: Winslow Twp. Police Tally Drunken Driving Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

No one should be too surprised to learn that the Click It or Ticket traffic safety campaign here in the Garden State caught more than the occasional unbelted motorist. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my colleagues know that the seat belt use law can result in police officers catching potentially drunken drivers as well.

In addition to the state’s use of sobriety roadblocks and drunk driving checkpoints in the late evening and early morning hours, the latest seat belt enforcement campaign is likely to result in numerous intoxicated driving arrests and possibly a number of convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol. Of course, those individuals who take the wheel while impaired, either knowingly or unknowingly, by the effects of prescription drugs can also be arrested for driving under the influence (drug DUI) just as easily.

A while back, the township of Winslow, NJ, announced the results of their part in the national safety belt enforcement effort, sponsored New Jersey’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety, and which lasted from late May through early June of this year. The statistics bear out the relative success of the campaign. In Winslow Township alone, police officers gave out more than 400 traffic summonses.

Of those tickets, almost one-third were for primary seat belt violations, which may come as a surprise given the marketing that went into this effort. In addition, 32 tickets were issued for excessive speed and another 30 were fore driving on a suspended license. Nine drivers were arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (DWI) and six people were taken into custody for drug-related offenses, such as marijuana possession.
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July 7, 2011

Bergen County News: Saddle Brook Police Department begin Enhanced Summer Drunken Driving Enforcement

by Jonathan F. Marshall

For anyone who hasn’t already noticed an increased police presence on New Jersey roadways this summer, it’s that time again for stepped up drunken driving enforcement throughout the Garden State. What this means is that towns like Saddle Brook, NJ, will have their police officers working diligently to pickup motorists suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, doctor-prescribed medications and even illicit drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

As drunken driving defense lawyers representing Garden State residents against charges of impaired driving, breath test refusal and possession of controlled dangerous substances in their vehicle, I and my colleagues understand the many and varied ways that a driver can be stopped and arrested for DWI and drug DUI. With the warm weather upon us and college students home for summer break, it’s a foregone conclusion that drunken driving arrests will be on the increase throughout New Jersey counties, such as Mercer, Hudson, Essex and Ocean.

According to news articles, police departments in many towns and municipalities will be steeping up their anti-drunken driving patrols. Actually, these latest push is tied to the so-called “101 Days of Summer” DWI campaign in which increased police patrols (sometimes known as saturation patrols) will be used in an attempt to counteract the swelling of New Jersey’s summertime population.

Police departments across the state will be carrying out similar efforts to the one detailed in a news article about the Saddle Brook Police Department’s latest endeavor to catch and prosecute drunk drivers. As a former municipal prosecutor myself, I understand the strategies used by law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys to effect arrests as well as DWI convictions.
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July 4, 2011

Police Blotter: Monmouth County, NJ, Drunken Driving and CDS-related Arrests in Middletown

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As New Jersey drunken driving and drug DUI attorneys, my legal staff has a great deal of experience defending residents of Bergen, Middlesex, Sussex and Passaic County against charges of DWI and drug DUI, not to mention marijuana possession and related offenses. While the circumstances of each drunk driving case vary to a great extent, the consequences and potential penalties are usually more predictable.

Being DWI defense lawyers, we can say unequivocally that a drunken driving or drug-related DUI arrest, much less a conviction, can cause serious problems for many people in terms of their careers, personal relationships and standing in their neighborhood or local community.

The following news items from around Monmouth County are just several of the dozens of arrests that take place every day across the Garden State. They illustrate the variety of drunk driving and prescription medication DUI reports that police officer files on a daily basis. The resulting penalties for those individuals who are found guilty in a court of law can be costly in financial terms as well as changes that they cause to a person’s livelihood and lifestyle.

In the early hours of a Sunday morning, a local police officer pulled a vehicle over along a stretch of Oak Hill Rd. after he observed the car had a headlamp, taillamp or marker lamp violation. Upon interviewing the 20-year-old local driver at the roadside, the patrolman apparently detected evidence of intoxication and/or alcohol consumption by the motorist. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The suspect was taken into custody, transported to the local police department and processed. He was reportedly released pending a later court appearance.
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July 2, 2011

Police Charge Bergen County Driver in Drunken Driving Injury Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

When it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication (drug DUI), the legal system in New Jersey can be very strict regarding sentencing for anyone convicted of DWI. Regardless of whether you live in Atlantic, Ocean, Middlesex or Union County, a drunken driving arrest is nothing to take lightly. Add to that a possible injury accident and most motorists should certainly consider talking to a qualified drunk driving defense lawyer.

As DWI attorneys serving drivers throughout the Garden State, I and my colleagues have vast experience in representing individuals charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), drug DUI (including marijuana possession in a motor vehicle) and breath test refusal. One thing we would suggest to anyone who attends a summer picnic or evening pub gathering is not to drink and drive. Most certainly, do not end up causing a traffic accident if you are in any way inebriated.

Not long ago, a resident of Bergen County found himself on the wrong side of the law when he reportedly crashed his car, injuring himself and all three of his passengers. According to news articles the wreck happened early Sunday morning when 20-year-old Ryuichi Nakada — a resident of Bergenfield, NJ — apparently lost control of his 2007 Nissan along a stretch of Hackensack Ave.

Based on reports, the Altima sedan for reasons unknown at the time of the accident struck a concrete lane divider, then hit a utility pole overturned onto its roof and eventually ended up in a nearby restaurant parking lot. Eye witnesses to the crash told officers that the vehicle was going northbound when it hit the median barrier near the entrance to Route 4 west. Police believed that the driver was drunk at the time of the impact.
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June 30, 2011

Toms River Legal Defense News: Ocean County to Increase Drunken Driving Checkpoints to Curb Summer Accidents

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Now that summer is in full swing here in the Garden State, there are numerous occasions to celebrate; family gatherings, company outings, and after-work events in restaurants and bars throughout the state. Although the state police and local law enforcement agencies have been doing their part to curb the amount of drinking and driving on New Jersey roadways for years now, every week dozens of drivers are charged with DWI or impairment due to prescription medication (drug DUI).

As drunken driving defense lawyers representing people in Bergen, Monmouth, Passaic and Atlantic County, as well as the rest of the state, we understand fully the negative impact that a drunk driving conviction can have on a person’s career and personal life. It isn’t just the monetary hit that a driver takes following a sentence for first-time DWI or drug DUI. A driver’s insurance rates will automatically go up significantly and remain there for several years.

One of the places that drivers get arrested for drinking and driving is the all-too-common sobriety checkpoint. Also known as a DWI or drunken driving roadblock, these temporary checkpoints are erected by police in areas that typically have a high incidence of DWI or DUI arrested. This fact is the justification for state and local police to set up a roadblock in order to assess drivers’ sobriety one at a time.

According to news reports, New Jersey, along with other states across the country, will be participating in a continuation of what has become a summertime staple — the DWI checkpoint program. This ongoing program includes the operation thought our state of multiple checkpoint locations in various counties, such asOcean County. Sobriety roadblocks reportedly work by supplementing local police enforcement of drunken driving laws.
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June 28, 2011

New Jersey Drunk Driving Defense News: Union County DWI-DUI Police Blotter

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Anyone who travels the surface streets or interstate routes in New Jersey is bound to run into a state patrolman or local municipal police officer at least once in their driving career. For the average person, those who take a drink socially from time to time, there is a good chance that he or she might be pulled over for a minor traffic infraction and then possibly be charged with driving while intoxicated.

Whether one lives or works in Bergen, Middlesex or Ocean County, a DWI arrest and conviction can spell the end of a promising business career, lost friendships or a ruined marital relationship. Such is the stigma of a drunk driving or prescription drug DUI guilty verdict. As New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys, I and my staff of experienced DWI lawyers understand how a routine traffic stop can snowball into a full-blown DWI-DUI arrest.

And, we will add, the typical scenario repeats itself over and over again across the state on a regular basis. Some individuals get stopped just down the road from a bar or pub, at which they may or may not have enjoyed a glass wine, bottle of beer or shot of whiskey. Other drivers may be surprised by one of the many sobriety checkpoints that pop up from time to time in areas where drunk driving is reportedly quite common, according to police statistics.

The following news items represent a cross-section of alcohol-, prescription medication- and even illegal drug-related DUI reports that come in from every corner of the Graden State. It’s not surprising that a percentage of individuals arrested for DWI are found not guilty by a court of law. Others, sad to say, may believe that their “number was up” and chose to accept their sentence or pled to a reduced charge, yet still end up with a DWI on their record and steep fines and penalties to pay.

According to recent police blotter reports, police departments in Union County arrested a number of people on suspicion of drunken driving, as follows:

Cranford
Patrolmen from the local police department stopped a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old Cranford resident on a stretch of Dunham Ave. for allegedly failing to stay to the right-hand side of the roadway. After approaching the vehicle, officers found evidence of heroin and drug paraphernalia. The man was arrested and taken into custody after which he was charged with possession with intent to distribute, and controlled dangerous substance (CDS) in a motor vehicle.
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June 25, 2011

Mercer County DWI News: Hunterdon County Driver Pleads Guilty to Fatal DWI Accident in Trenton

by Jonathan F. Marshall

While most people arrested and charged with driving while under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor do little more than catch the eye of an observant police officer while operating their vehicle in a possible suspicious manner, other individuals charged with driving while intoxicated occasionally cause an accident. Of those drivers that do hit another vehicle while impaired by alcohol or prescription medication (drug DUI), some regrettably kill one or more people in the process.

As DWI defense attorneys here in New Jersey, we understand how a motorist can be accused of DWI following a routine traffic stop. Those that are convicted can expect relatively stiff fines and other penalties. But as bad as a DWI conviction can be, combining it with a fatal traffic collision is something nobody wants to experience.

Not long ago, a motorist from Lambertville admitted to driving while intoxicated when he caused a traffic accident that killed his passenger and injured two other people. As a result of a plea agreement, 25-year-old Jorge Orellana, a resident of Hunterdon County, NJ, was due to be sentenced to five years in jail in relation to the traffic crash that caused the death of 19-year-old Alonso Bautista in October 2010. Based on court records, Orellana will have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he can even be eligible for parole.

June 22, 2011

New Jersey Motorist Charged with DWI after Hitting Police Chief’s Patrol Car

by Jonathan F. Marshall

The last time we mentioned unintended consequences. Well, there are unintended consequences for driving while intoxicated, either by alcohol, prescription meds, or illicit drugs such as marijuana or cocaine… and then the are unintended consequences of those original consequences, so to speak. One consequence that we would prefer not to see any person have to defend himself against is hitting a police vehicle while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers representing individuals from counties such as Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington and Passaic, we can say without much trepidation is don’t even think of assaulting a law enforcement officer with a vehicle, drunk or not. This is a serious offense that can complicate a drunken driving defense without a doubt.

Not surprisingly, this type of helpful advice is ignored by more than a few people every year here in the Garden State. Such was the case for an out-of-state driver last month when he crashed his SUV into an Elmwood Park, NJ, police vehicle being used by none other than the department’s chief of police.

According to news reports, the accident happened around 2:30am on May 15 as Police Chief Donald Ingrasselino and Lieutenant Frank Thorpe were heading to a DWI sobriety roadblock in Bergen County. Based on police reports, Chief Ingrasselino and Lt. Thorpe were traveling eastbound along Rte 46 toward the drunken driving checkpoint being operated that morning at Midland Avenue when their Dodge Durango was struck.
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June 19, 2011

Pennington Motorist Gets 3 Years for Injuring Motorcyclist in DWI-related Hit-and-Run Crash

by Jonathan F. Marshall

When it comes to defending motorists against charges of drinking and driving the subject of unintended consequences comes up from time to time. While no one who takes a drink at a restaurant, bar or family gathering expects to be stopped by the police when driving home, it is a distinct possibility. The same goes for those people who fail to realize the effects of certain prescription medications, which may cause drowsiness or reduced ability to control a motor vehicle on public roads.

As a New Jersey drunk driving attorney, I and my staff of experienced DWI defense lawyers understand how the seemingly minor act of having a drink with friends can precipitate a drunken driving arrest. (And for those who occasionally take a puff of weed or cannabis, these same holds true.) Regardless of whether you live or work in Middlesex, Hudson, Somerset or Union County, be aware that here in the Garden State the police and our courts maintain a dim view of driving while intoxicated, either by alcohol or prescribed medicines (drug DUI).

Touching on the topic of unintended consequences, we can only say a motorist who is involved in a DWI- or DUI-related traffic accident does not do themselves any favors by leaving the scene of the accident. Statistics will surely bear this out, but many hit-and-run drivers are eventually caught by police, which can only compound the original incident. This was apparently the case of a Pennington resident who was recently sentenced to three years in jail for a 2009 accident in Mercer County that put a motorcycle in the hospital with serious injuries.

According to news reports, 24-year-old Craig Brauer accepted a plea arrangement with the Mercer County prosecutor’s office. The deal reportedly included a guilty plea to 3rd degree aggravated assault by auto in exchange for a straight 4-year jail sentence. Originally charged with 2nd degree aggravated assault by auto and leaving the scene of an accident, Brauer could have gone away for up to 10 years.
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