A number of recent DWI and controlled/dangerous substance (CDS) arrests in Bergen County, New Jersey, illustrate the ease and frequency of drunk driving and drug DUI arrests around the state. As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, my aim is to help my clients get a fair trial and to defend each individual against potential abuses or procedural errors on the part of the police.
Drunken driving has become a serious offense in New Jersey, as well as across the United States. This does not change the fact that every person accused of or charged with a DWI offense is considered innocent until proven guilty. As a former municipal prosecutor, I understand the techniques used by law enforcement to attain drunk driving convictions. The following news items reflect the kinds of arrests that occur on a weekly basis here in the Garden State.
Lyndhurst
A 33-year-old Rutherford man and a 32-year-old man from Lyndhurst, NJ, were each arrested on a late January evening in what could have been a drug DUI incident following a complaint of illegal fireworks in the 100 block of Copeland Avenue. Police identified a vehicle that allegedly left the scene of the incident and conducted a standard motor vehicle stop. In the course of the arrest, one of the occupants was charged with possession of a prescription drug without a prescription. The other man was charged with possession of marijuana, and found to have a $400 outstanding warrant. Both were subsequently released on summonses.
Rutherford
A 34-year-old New York man was arrested on a Thursday morning in late January for DWI and careless driving following a motor vehicle stop on westbound Route 3. According to police, the suspect was allegedly passed out behind the wheel when the officers approached the man’s vehicle. He was transported to Meadowlands Hospital due to his apparently high level of intoxication. Police later released the motorist on summonses.
A 20-year-old Kearny driver was arrested on January 30 in the early morning hours for DWI and failure to keep right. Police reported that the suspect made an illegal left turn onto Station Square and then began driving the wrong way before officers pulled him over. The driver reportedly failed a field sobriety test and later registered a 0.12 percent reading on the breath test. The man was subsequently released on summonses.
East Rutherford
A Rutherford resident was arrested in the early morning hours of a Sunday, charged with DWI. According to reports, witnessed flagged down a patrolman regarding a vehicle that had been observed swerving on southbound Route 17. Police reported locating the vehicle and its 25-year-old driver in a parking lot on the corner of Hoboken Road and Enoch Street. The motorist allegedly failed a field sobriety test, after which he was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center due to his being visibly impaired by alcohol.
A 26-year-old out-of-state driver was arrested on January 22 in the late evening for DWI and having an open container of Heineken in a car. The arrest came following a motor vehicle accident on Locust Lane. After police arrived on the scene they administered a field sobriety test, which the man apparently failed. Police then conducted a breathalyzer test and found the suspect’s blood-alcohol content to be 0.16 percent. The man was later released on summonses to a responsible party.
A 58-year-old Lodi, NJ, resident was arrested for DWI, careless driving, obstruction of traffic, failure to produce a valid insurance card and failure to produce a valid registration card, following a motor vehicle stop on Paterson Avenue and Locust Lane. A witness reported Waldron was passed out behind the wheel at a traffic light with the car running and in park. A witness attempted to wake Waldron and he did not respond until she opened the passenger side door. Waldron allegedly woke up and attempted to drive away before being stopped. He failed a field sobriety test and registered a 0.21 percent on the breath test. He was released on summonses to a responsible party.
Police Blotter, LeaderNewspapers.net, February 24, 2010
Police Blotter, LeaderNewspapers.net, February 4, 2010