New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
Some people apparently do not realize when enough is enough. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my staff of experienced drunken driving lawyers are committed to representing individuals who have been accused of driving while intoxicated, either by alcohol or prescription drugs. But even though we believe that every person deserves their day in court, we certainly do not espouse drinking and driving, or even suggest that repeat offending is the way to go through life.
Not only is driving under the influence against the law, but it is dangerous when a driver is impaired beyond the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. The same can be said for doctor-prescribed medications as well; and even illicit substances, such as cocaine and marijuana. While some may disagree with the laws of this state, the fact is that law enforcement officers are tasked with rooting out those who they believe have broken the law and to bring those individuals to justice. For ourselves, we bring the fight to a court of law when a client believes he or she was unjustly accused of DWI or drug DUI.
There are those people who sometimes push the limits of the court’s patience. Being arrested multiple times for drunk driving is a way of one’s defense slightly more difficult. As attorneys representing defendants who have been charged with DWI or DUI, we know that putting the best face on a situation can be difficult once a track record of offenses has been established. For this reason along we suggest prudence to anyone who has already been convicted of drunken driving one or more times. But then again, most individuals know the stakes are high.
This brings us to a news article illustrating one of the worst situations in which a defendant can find himself immersed. According to news reports, Vineland police stopped a 45-year-old Garden State man after another person phoned in a tip about a drunken driver in the area. Based on police reports, Anderson Sotomayor was arrested on a Wednesday afternoon following a traffic stop that was precipitated by a concerned citizen regarding a vehicle that was allegedly being operated in an erratic manner.
Officers who located the car stated that the driver had an open beer in his lap at the time of the traffic stop. Furthermore, the driver apparently admitted to the arresting officers that he had also taken oxycontin that morning. Arrested on the spot, the driver reportedly refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.
Charged with illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance and DWI, among others, Sotomayor had apparently been charged on several other occasions with DWI; in fact, he was also charged with DWI on April 9, 11 and 25. A fifth charge, unrelated to drunk driving, was lodged on April 2 when police reports indicate the man swerved around a school bus unloading students, hitting a traffic control sign, smashing into another vehicle and then fleeing the scene.
According to reports, the defendant’s driving record included two DWI convictions in 1989 and 1992, as well as license suspension on more than 20 occasions for offenses such as speeding and careless driving.
NJ man charged with 5th DUI in 5 weeks, ABCLocal.com, May 16, 2012