Given the population, as well as the number of motor vehicles in the Garden State, there are a fair number of drunken driving arrests that occur every month all across the state. In counties such as Middlesex, Passaic, Ocean and Cape May, throughout the year local police officers and state troopers alike make dozens of alcohol and drug-related arrests every week following routine traffic stops.
As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, we understand that being pulled over for even the most simple of driving infractions can open the door to drunk driving or drug-related DUI charges. When a motorist receives a DWI or DUI-related summons, the clock starts ticking toward a court date, a possible conviction and potentially hefty monetary fines and other penalties.
It seems that no matter where one looks in the news, there is always some story that grabs the reader’s attention regarding an alcohol- or drug-related arrest on one of New Jersey’s roadways. The ubiquitous police blotter pages can be an interesting source of information on what not to do if one has a drink or two under their belt.
We know from our years of representing individuals accused of drunken driving, if a driver ventures out onto the streets after having one too many beers or a few too many glasses of wine, the odds are rather high that a patrolman may end up stopping that individual for a basic traffic offense, but end up making an arrest for driving while intoxicated.
As professional drunk driving defense lawyers, my staff and I have seen numerous courtroom scenarios where defendants fight charges arising from boating DUI, sobriety checkpoint encounters, simple lane-change errors and auto accidents. Whether the stated cause is intoxication from alcohol or impairment due to prescription drug use (drug DUI), the results can be embarrassing, costly and potentially life changing.
In addition to alcohol-related traffic offenses, my law firm is no stranger to defending drivers charged with DUIs allegedly caused by the use of controlled dangerous substances (CDS) like marijuana or cocaine. Whether a motorist is facing a charge of DUI or simple possession of weed or other CDS in a motor vehicle, there is no reason to take any of these types of charges lightly. In fact, anyone accused of a drug or drug DUI-related offense should take very seriously the implications and possible penalties following a conviction on such charges.
Below is a brief summary of some of the arrests that have taken place in the Middletown, NJ, area in terms of DWI and DUI-related offenses. These items reflect the typical scenarios that make up many of the drunk driving cases that pass through New Jersey courtrooms on a regular basis.
Half-dozen Individuals Charged with Separate Drinking and Driving Offenses
Police officers from the Middletown Twp. PD made a handful of DWI arrests over the span of a week in the late summer in Monmouth County. Early on, a 36-year-old Highlands, NJ, resident was stopped by officers on what was likely a routine traffic violation, but which then became a full-blown drunken driving arrest. The woman was eventually arrested and charged with DWI and breath test refusal. Meanwhile, two 19-year-old drivers — one from Colts Neck and the other from Holmdel — were arrested by police and charged with underage DWI.
In addition to these, a 55-year-old Holmdel woman was picked up by police following what was likely a routine traffic or vehicle equipment violation. The driver was eventually charged with drunk driving and later released pending a municipal court hearing. In the subsequent days following that police arrest, a 34-year-old driver from Oceanport and a 28-year-old motorist from Morganville, NJ, were arrested for DWI. In the latter case, the driver was also charged with refusal to provide breath samples to police.
Finally, a 37-year-old man from Keansburg, NJ, was stopped on a Friday in Middletown Township by local patrolmen on what was apparently a routine traffic violation of some sort. However, upon investigation the officer in charge likely detected evidence of alcohol consumption on the driver’s part and made an arrest based on the information. The motorist was taken into custody and charged with DWI. The man was later released pending a court appearance.
Marijuana, CDS and Other Drug-related Arrests
Nine individuals were arrested on charges of marijuana possession by Middletown PD officers during the last part of August. Of these, a 30-year-old man from Port Monmouth was charged with possession under 50gm and for having drug paraphernalia on his person. An 18-year-old from Asbury Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, was taken into custody on similar charges and later released pending a court date.
Another 18-year-old from the Port Monmouth area was arrested after police determined that the man had intent to distribute pot. He was charged with possession of marijuana (less than 50gm), as well as robbery and conspiracy. That man was released on $10,000 bail pending a court hearing. Another teenager, a 19-year-old local man was arrested on a Monday on similar charges. That teen’s release required the posing of a $20,000 bond ordered by the court.
Several others — a 17-year-old juvenile male, a 19-year-old Highlands man, and a 20-year-old from the local area; plus a 24-year-old man from Keansburg — were each arrested within days of each other for marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession. Three of them were released pending a court hearing; the Keansburg man was being held on more than $21,000 bail most likely due to other charges, which included heroin possession and resisting arrest.
Finally, Middletown police detained a 51-year-old local woman on the grounds of possessing less than 50gm of marijuana. The woman was eventually charged and later released pending a hearing in municipal court.
MIDDLETOWN: EIGHT CHARGED WITH DWI; RedbankGreen.com; September 3, 2013