For the average motorist, being stopped by a police officer for impaired driving may not be that one expects to happen, but receiving a summons for drunken driving, drug DUI or even breath test refusal can be a serious situation, especially for someone who has limited means or cannot afford to give up his or her driving privileges for even a short duration. Relying on a qualified drunken driving defense attorney can often be a necessity when facing the many times harsh consequences of a first-time DWI conviction.
Here in the Garden State, drunken driving arrests during the summer months can be much more common than many drivers imagine. But even as we ease into fall, end of summer events with coworkers, family members and close friends can open a person up to the potential for a DWI-DUI arrest. Every week, it is possible to read about any number of drug- and alcohol-related traffic stops published by local and state news outlets.
Monmouth, Bergen, Ocean and Atlantic County are just a few of the areas where police enforcement of traffic laws and anti-drinking and driving statutes happen regularly. As professional drunken driving defense lawyers, my legal staff and I have seen our share of courtroom scenarios where auto accidents, drunk drivers, drug arrests and other civil and criminal cases play out; as such, we are no strangers to defending drivers accused of drug DUIs and alcohol-related traffic offenses.
Whether the charge is related to consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor; use of doctor-prescribed medications; or the taking of an illicit controlled dangerous substance (CDS) such as like marijuana or cocaine, my legal team is skilled in the laws of this state and has decades of collective trial experience. For a taste of what happens on New Jersey’s roadways, one has only to open up a newspaper or check out the internet for news stories of DWI and DUI incidents. Here are just a few:
DWI and Other Arrests in Pennsville, NJ
A traffic stop along a stretch of Carroll Avenue began when an officer observed an individual urinating in a public parking area next to a motor vehicle, which he eventually climbed into before it drove away. According to reports, police officers saw the suspect get into the passenger seat of the vehicle, which then left the scene. According to police, the vehicle, its driver and the 29-year-old passenger were pulled over shortly thereafter for what apparently must have been a routine traffic stop.
Based on news reports, during the stop the officer in charge saw what he believed to be evidence of marijuana on the floorboard of the vehicle. Asked for consent to search his vehicle, the 23-year-old driver allowed the police officer to investigate further. As a result, the officer allegedly detected the smell of raw marijuana coming from the back seat area of the car. During his search, the patrolman found a plastic bag containing a small amount (of less than 50gm) of a substance assumed to be marijuana.
Both the driver and the passenger were taken to headquarters and charged with various offenses. The passenger received a disorderly conduct summons, while the driver was charged with possession of less than 50gm of marijuana in a motor vehicle. The two were released pending court appearances.
In another incident, a 38-year-old local man was arrested by police and charged with DWI after he was stopped for one or more traffic offenses. In the course of the police stop, the officer in charge reportedly requested the driver to perform a series of field sobriety tests, after which the patrolman determined that the driver was impaired.
After being taken to police headquarters, the man was allegedly refused to undergo a breathalyzer test. He was subsequently charged with DWI, reckless driving and breath test refusal. The motorist was eventually released to the care of a responsible adult pending a court hearing.
Pennsville Police Blotter includes disorderly conduct, DWI, shoplifting; NJ.com; July 11, 2013