As New Jersey drunken driving and drug DUI attorneys, my legal staff has a great deal of experience defending residents of Bergen, Middlesex, Sussex and Passaic County against charges of DWI and drug DUI, not to mention marijuana possession and related offenses. While the circumstances of each drunk driving case vary to a great extent, the consequences and potential penalties are usually more predictable.
Being DWI defense lawyers, we can say unequivocally that a drunken driving or drug-related DUI arrest, much less a conviction, can cause serious problems for many people in terms of their careers, personal relationships and standing in their neighborhood or local community.
The following news items from around Monmouth County are just several of the dozens of arrests that take place every day across the Garden State. They illustrate the variety of drunk driving and prescription medication DUI reports that police officer files on a daily basis. The resulting penalties for those individuals who are found guilty in a court of law can be costly in financial terms as well as changes that they cause to a person’s livelihood and lifestyle.
In the early hours of a Sunday morning, a local police officer pulled a vehicle over along a stretch of Oak Hill Rd. after he observed the car had a headlamp, taillamp or marker lamp violation. Upon interviewing the 20-year-old local driver at the roadside, the patrolman apparently detected evidence of intoxication and/or alcohol consumption by the motorist. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The suspect was taken into custody, transported to the local police department and processed. He was reportedly released pending a later court appearance.
Later, the same day as the above drunken driving traffic stop, a second police officer responded to reports of juveniles allegedly smoking weed in the local area. Arriving at Wilson Ave. and Henry Hudson Trail, the patrolman came upon a group of teenagers. During his investigation the officer arrested a 16-year-old minor from the Middletown area for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana; the teen was also charged with disorderly conduct. The patrolman took the individual into custody and brought him to the local police department where the suspect was processed. Police called his parents who had to come to police headquarters to pick him up. He was released pending an appearance in court at a later date.
In the early morning hours on a Saturday, police observed a vehicle swerving back and forth within its lane along a stretch of Laurel Ave. The suspect vehicle was pulled over for a traffic violation, during which an investigation at the scene led officers to suspect the driver of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The 45-year-old driver, a resident of Keansburg, was subsequently arrested for DWI. He was taken into custody, processed and released pending an appearance before a judge.
During a late Sunday evening, a police officer patrolling a stretch of Rte 35 apparently observed a vehicle swerving on the road. The patrolman stopped the vehicle and approached the 49-year-old driver. During his interview of the suspect, the officer reportedly detected a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” emanating from the driver’s mouth. With apparently sufficient evidence for an arrest the man was charged with DWI as well as reckless driving and failure to maintain his lane. After processing at the local police headquarters, the motorist was released pending his future court appearance.
On the Beat with Middletown Police: Arresting Update, Patch.com, May 1, 2011