New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog

December 30, 2010

Sussex County Police Arrest Woman for Drunken Driving, Marijuana Possession following Traffic Accident

Most drunk driving arrests occur following a traffic stop, where the police officer in charge pulls a vehicle over due to some traffic violation, such as failure to signal or the driver’s supposed inability to properly maintain his or her lane. It is during the traffic stop that any DWI-related evidence may be detected by the officer leading to a drunken driving arrest.

In other instances, a traffic accident may be the initial event that kicks off a DWI or drug DUI arrest. These kinds of incidents can be single- or multi-vehicle accidents in which an allegedly intoxicated driver may have been involved. Due to the impairing effects of alcohol or prescription drugs, traffic wrecks due occur as a result of slowed responses of a person operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor. Doctor-prescribed medication can also be blamed for such accidents.

As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I understand the methods and procedures used by law enforcement personnel and the local prosecutor’s office to obtain a drunk driving conviction. It should come as no surprise that a DWI arrest arising out of a traffic accident, especially one involving injuries or death, will typical get the full attention of the court.

December 28, 2010

Union County, NJ, Drunk Driving News: DWI and Drug DUI Police Blotter

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Arrests for drunken driving, breath test refusal and controlled/dangerous substance (CDS) DUIs in Union County, New Jersey, illustrate how common law enforcement agencies pull over and charge motorists with these offenses, here and throughout the Garden State. As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, I and my colleagues make an effort to help individuals accused of these charges on a regular basis.

Driving while intoxicated either by beer, wine, hard liquor or prescription drugs (drug DUI) is a serious offense in New Jersey and looked down upon by state and local authorities. Regardless of the circumstances, every person accused of or charged with a DWI offense is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Having worked in prior years as a municipal prosecutor, I understand the procedures and techniques employed by law enforcement and the judiciary to achieve a drunk driving conviction.

The following news items from Westfield, NJ, illustrate the various types of DWI and DUI arrests that occur on a weekly basis here in Union, Middlesex, Bergen and other counties throughout the state.

December 26, 2010

Multiple Convictions for Drunk Driving Can Make a New Jersey Driver’s Life More Difficult

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As Bergen, Ocean and Monmouth County attorneys who represent motorists accused of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or prescription drugs, we can heartily say that there are potentially harsh consequences for individuals convicted of multiple times for drunken driving or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of prescription medicine or even illegal substances, such as marijuana and cocaine.

There is a strong argument for mounting a compelling defense for first-time DWI and DUI charges, if only because subsequent arrests and convictions present an even more costly and potentially life-altering consequences. Even so, second- and third-time offenders may still ask themselves the question, “Why do I need a drunk driving lawyer?”

When it comes to multiple convictions for driving while intoxicated, the impact on one’s lifestyle and relationships may be greatly affected. It’s no secret that second, third and subsequent DWI convictions can result in far more serious consequences than that of one’s first-time offense.

December 23, 2010

DWI Enforcement Update: Police in Ocean City, NJ, to Increase Drunk Driving Patrols during Holidays

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Like most cities and towns throughout the Garden State, Ocean City will be cracking down on drunken driving offenses during the year-end holiday season. As a New Jersey DWI and drug DUI defense lawyer, I and my colleagues provide assistance to motorists in Atlantic, Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex Counties who have been accused of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication.

It’s not uncommon for a police officer to pull a driver over for a sometimes minor traffic violation only to arrest the motorist on the ground of driving while intoxicated. Not only does the consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor before taking the wheel offer the opportunity for a drunken driving summons, taking a puff of marijuana can also get a driver in trouble with the law, especially when it’s linked to reckless driving or, worse, a traffic accident.

According to news reports, police departments in many communities will be on the alert for increased drinking and driving violations during the Christmas and New Year holidays. In Cape May County, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) will be cracking down on offenders in the coming week. Police are reportedly planning to set up sobriety checkpoints, DWI roadblocks and saturation drunk driving patrols across the area, all designed to keep the motoring public safe during the holidays.

December 21, 2010

New Jersey’s Sobriety Roadblocks Credited with Reducing Drunken Driving Arrests; DWI-related Accidents and Fatalities

by Jonathan F. Marshall

The frequency of drunk driving in the Garden State has reportedly been dropping for years, according to statistics maintained by state law enforcement agencies. As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I can also state that there are numerous motorists picked up for driving under the influence every week in Bergen, Union, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and all other counties through our state.

Still the number of drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated has apparently dwindled over the past several decades. According to a recent article, during the holiday season back in 1985 police-operated sobriety checkpoints (also known as DWI roadblocks) frequently had to be shut down due to the shear numbers of drivers who were arrested for driving drunk. In short, law enforcement authorities were overwhelmed by the amount of drunk drivers they were taking into custody at these roadblocks.

Twenty-five years later, Middlesex County roadblocks being operated from early November through mid-December reported a total of just nine drivers arrested for DWI; this out of a total 1,900 cars stopped at checkpoints in North Brunswick and Plainsboro, NJ.

December 19, 2010

New Jersey Driver Gets 12 Years for Fatal Drunk Driving Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A New Jersey woman was recently convicted for the 2007 DWI-related death of a South Brunswick college student. According to reports, 35-year-old Kimberly Green was sentenced in a Middlesex County courtroom to 12 years in prison for her part in the fatal drunken driving accident. Based on reports, the defendant received an eight-year sentence for the death of Kylie Pinheiro, plus another four years for the injuring of the victim’s cousin, Heather Pinheiro.

The court also sentenced Green to an additional four-year term for injuring another cousin of the victim, Melissa Pinheiro. That sentence is set to run concurrent with the other two. According to court records, Green will have to serve more than seven years before she can even hope to be eligible for parole.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, I can say that adding a injury or fatal accident to a drunken driving arrest is very serious indeed. Drunk driving cases such as the one reported on here can land a driver in jail for many years, much less result in other penalties that can impact one’s future livelihood.

December 16, 2010

Monmouth County, NJ, Drunk Driving News: Multiple New Jersey DWI and Drug DUI Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Drunken driving arrests happen daily in New Jersey. As Monmouth, Atlantic andMiddlesex County DWI lawyers, I and my staff have the skills and experience to represent those individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription medication and even illegal drugs such as marijuana. The following list of intoxicate driving arrests and other DUI offenses are a sampling of the situations in which many New Jersey motorists find themselves from time to time.

Holmdel
A 22-year-old out-of-state driver was reportedly stopped on Telegraph Hill Road for driving while intoxicated. A police patrol apparently noticed the man’s vehicle being driven in a possibly erratic manner, after which the driver was pulled over. He was arrested for DWI and taken to police headquarters for processing. The man was later released pending a court appearance.

On that same day, a 24-year-old motorist was pulled over along a stretch of Rte. 35 by a police officer and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence. The man was later taken to headquarters, processed and released pending a future court appearance.

Three young people, two men and a woman under the age of 21, were arrested by police for underage possession of alcohol. The trio from Brick, Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach were all taken to police headquarters for processing before being released. Each of the three will have to return for a court appearance.

Belmar
Police made a DWI arrest on Main St. in Belmar when they apparently spotted car being driven erratically. The 42-year-old driver, who reportedly resisted arrest, was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated assault and obstructing justice.

Wall
Route 35 has been the scene of more than a few DWI arrests. According to reports, an 18-year-old Wall Twp. Man was stopped by police near New Bedford Rd. and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. In another unrelated instance, a 26-year-old Seaside Heights resident was stopped by patrolmen near Church Road and arrested for intoxicated driving.

Around the same time, a 31-year-old Belmar man was arrested by police in the vicinity of 16th Ave. and Maplewood Rd. and subsequently charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana.
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December 12, 2010

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

by Jonathan F. Marshall

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.

December 9, 2010

New Jersey Legal Defense News: Passaic County Driver Charged with Prescription Drug DUI

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Alcohol consumption prior to driving is one of the more common causes of DUI arrests in New Jersey, however with doctor-prescribed medications on the rise more and more drivers are being stopped and charged by law enforcement for driving under the influence of drugs (also known as drug DWI).

As Middlesex, Ocean, and Monmouth County drunken driving defense attorneys, I and my legal staff understand the seriousness of these kinds of traffic offenses. Whether driving under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor, or caught for operating a motor vehicle while impaired by prescription or over-the-counter medication, the New Jersey legal system takes a dim view of all these offenses.

Not long ago, a driver currently a Wayne, NJ, resident was arrested by police following a crash that occurred in Passaic County. According to news reports, a witness observed a car being driven erratically around the Willowbrook Mall parking lot. Police reports show that 37-year-old Mara Smith was behind the wheel of a Lexus SUV when it allegedly struck a parked Porsche Boxster owned by a Totowa resident.

December 8, 2010

New Jersey Motorists Convicted of Drunken Driving or Drug DUI Can Face Severe DWI Penalties

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being stopped by a New Jersey state trooper or local municipal patrolman can be a nerve-jangling experience especially when a driver has perhaps imbibed some alcohol as part of a holiday celebration. Whether its beer or wine consumed at a local restaurant or hard liquor or cocktails shared at a neighborhood pub or bar, driving after drinking even a little alcohol can put a driver’s future in jeopardy.

Drunken driving, driving while intoxicated or operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs; whatever the phrase, a DWI or DUI conviction here in the Garden State can bring heavy penalties and fines, not to mention possible jail time. As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, I and my colleagues provide council and representation to residents in Bergen, Ocean, Passaic and many other counties throughout the state.

Simply put, a drunk driving arrest begins a process that can be both embarrassing and costly to any driver unlucky enough to have been stopped for impaired driving. Even under the best situation, the business and social price of a DWI or DUI arrest and conviction can be devastating to a person.