New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
As any driver in the Garden State likely knows, the state police and local law enforcement officers are on a constant vigil, looking out for impaired motorists. And, while the law says a patrolman cannot pull a vehicle over simply on a hunch that the driver may be intoxicated by beer, wine, doctor-prescribed meds or even marijuana or cocaine, an officer can stop a motorist if he or she violates any one of a number of traffic laws. In the end, if a police officer sees a car being driving in an erratic manner and can justify the traffic stop with a moving violation, a drunken driving arrest may not be far away.
As mentioned previously, intoxicated or impaired driving can range from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, prescription medication or illicit drugs also known as controlled dangerous substances (CDS, for short). Although alcohol and prescription medications are not strictly illegal to consume or ingest, the law limits their use when operating a car, truck or other motor vehicle. In many cases, any impairment due to these substances while driving is grounds for arrest. Several steps later and one could find themselves on the receiving end of a DWI or drug DUI conviction.
As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, I and my colleagues know that in a state as densely packed as ours that incidences of drunken driving, not to mention other traffic offenses, will most probably be higher than other locations. From this, it’s not surprising that Jersey drivers get more than their fair share of DWI arrests, summonses and convictions. This includes being charged with multiple DWI offenses and even something as seemingly minor (yet fully chargeable) as breath-test refusal.
As an example of the types of traffic stops that usually result in a drunken driving arrest, news outlets are full of stories illustrating the mistakes that drivers make on an almost daily basis in towns and cities all around the state, from Passaic to Bergen and Hudson to Atlantic County. Just take a look at this brief listing of typical DWI and DUI arrests and it will become clear that these event happen frequently. As DWI attorneys, my firm is committed to helping those individuals who have been unjustly accused of driving drunk or otherwise impaired while behind the wheel.
Aberdeen Twp. Police Tally Up Multiple Drunken Driving Charges Against NJ Motorists In the span of just one week, as an example, police officers in the township of Aberdeen, NJ, responded to more than 300 individual incidents including a dozen traffic accidents and 100 motor vehicle stops. Out of these, officers issued more than 80 traffic-related summonses. One such incident involved a 40-year-old Matawan driver who allegedly struck a parked car in the early morning hours along a stretch of Fordham Dr. Based on police reports, the man was determined by police to be intoxicated and was charged with DWI as well as reckless driving.
A local man was stopped for what may have been a routine traffic violation in a school zone. According to reports, the 49-year-old driver was stopped by police in the mid-afternoon along Myrtle Street. The arresting officer charged the driver with DWI, refusal to take a breathalyzer test, possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in his car, as well as reckless and drunken driving in school zone.
On a different occasion, a 25-year-old man from the Matawan, NJ, area was stopped by Aberdeen police officers in the early morning following what was likely a moving violation observed by the patrolmen. Apparently during the traffic stop, the motorist was found to exhibit signs of intoxication, after which officers charged him with DWI and reckless driving. The incident occurred on Highway 35 at one o’clock in the morning.
Finally, police apparently pulled over a vehicle being operated by a 27-year-old local man in what likely began as a routine traffic stop on a portion of Highway 34. The incident, which happened around 7pm, ended with the driver being arrested and charged with DWI, breath-test refusal and reckless driving. Adding to his charges was reportedly a count of criminal mischief following some alleged damage police claim the suspect caused to the holding cell in which he was placed while under police custody.
Aberdeen PD Blotter: Several DWI Arrests Made, Patch.com, May 18, 2012