With nearly nine million residents, the Garden State has the greatest population density of all 50 states, which might explain the constant stream of drunk driving arrests all across the state. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my staff of experienced litigators understands how easily a motorist can become entangled in the state’s legal system following a seemingly simple traffic stop.
The fact of the matter is, nobody expects to be pulled over by a state police trooper or a local municipal patrolman, however police stops for minor traffic violations can many times precipitate into an arrest for driving while intoxicated. Anyone who has ever gone to an acquaintance’s home for a birthday celebration or gone out with friends to enjoy a pleasant evening eating good food and having some wine or after-dinner drinks will likely recall the concern of being stopped for a DWI.
Even if a person isn’t a drinker, the use of doctor-prescribed medication can have an unexpected affect on a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle, which may not have been immediately obvious. Just the same, however, once a police officer has stopped a driver for a traffic infraction, the opportunity for a DWI or DUI is always there.
As the following items from the Cranford, NJ, police blotter illustrate, being stopped for driving under the influence of alcohol or drug DUI is neither uncommon nor exceptional. In fact, these reports are typical of the drunk driving cases that come through New Jersey courtrooms on a weekly basis.
Local police responding to a report of a two-vehicle traffic accident on a Tuesday evening arrived at the scene of the crash on North Ave. near the entrance to the northbound Garden State Parkway. While performing an accident investigation, police arrested a 38-year-old East Orange, NJ, man and charged the driver with careless driving, as well as driving while intoxicated. The 45-year-old driver of the second car, who had sustained minor injuries in the crash, was not charged.
Early on a Friday morning, police stopped a vehicle that allegedly had non-working taillights. The 27-year-old driver, who was also in violation the mandatory seatbelt law, was apparently being interviewed during the traffic stop when police officers found a bag of suspected marijuana on the driver’s person. Police arrested the driver and charged him with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana in a vehicle.
Responding to a citizen’s report of multiple parked vehicles being damaged by another vehicle along a stretch of Rogers Ave., police officers arrived on the scene. Within a short time the police had located a 28-year-old suspect from Westfield, NJ. Following an investigation of the crash scene, officers arrested the man, charging him with careless driving and DWI. He was later released pending a future court appearance.
A 40-year-old out-of-state man was allegedly acting suspiciously on the property of a closed business on a Monday evening. Police who were alerted to the suspect’s actions approached the man. The man was arrested by police for possession of marijuana, after which he was released pending a court date.
Following an early morning traffic stop prior to which the officer in charge had reportedly observed a Nissan Sentra exceeding the posted speed limit, as well as being operated erratically along a stretch of North Ave. East. The driver, a 26-year-old Linden, NJ, resident, was reportedly arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and careless driving.
Cranford Police Blotter includes arrests for marijuana, DWI, more; NJ.com, October 07, 2011