Any driver who lives or works in the Garden State may already know that arrests for drunken driving occur quite often all around the state. Although being pulled over for a traffic violation does not automatically mean that a driver will be charged with driving under the influence, there are numerous opportunities for motorists to be stopped and potentially charged with a DWI.
Much of this has to do with the circumstances and whether the arresting officer is convinced that an individual is impaired at the time of the traffic stop. Not all DWI and DUI arrests result in conviction; however, as New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my staff of experienced DWI attorneys know full well that having any amount of alcohol or drugs in one’s bloodstream at the time of a traffic stop can result in charges being pressed.
Sometimes getting a summons for DWI — or breath test refusal, if one chooses to decline taking a breathalyzer test — is just a matter of timing. Be advised that feeling you are in the right does not change the way a police officer views the situation on the roadside. As we always suggest to friends and associates, it’s better to err on the side of caution and get a sober ride home than to take one’s chances with the local police and possibly be charged with impaired driving due to alcohol or prescription drug use (drug DUI).
A range of alcohol- and drug-related arrests can be seen on nearly a daily basis here in New Jersey. Whether one reads the newspaper or goes online to check the local police blotter, every week we seen numerous news stories documenting police stops in Middlesex, Atlantic and Bergen County, among others, many of which turn out to be alcohol related.
As professionals, the attorneys at my firm have seen their share of courtroom scenarios involving minor traffic violations to full-blown auto accidents caused allegedly by drivers who were driving while intoxicated by beer or wine, hard liquor or prescription meds; even illegal substances such as cocaine, meth or marijuana.
Being DWI-DUI defense attorneys, we are no strangers to courtroom defense of individuals accused of driving under the influence. Whether the charge is DWI, DUI or simple possession of weed while in a car or truck, a person accused of these types of offenses should understand, at the very least, that there can be serious implications — not to mention potentially stiff penalties for a conviction on any such charges.
With this in mind, below is a brief summary of some arrests in and around Red Bank, NJ, involving drivers accused of DWI and DUI offenses. These reflect many of the typical circumstances surrounding f the legal defense cases that hit courtrooms all over New Jersey.
— Late on a Friday evening, a 19-year-old Barnegat resident was stopped by police after the patrolman observed a vehicle apparently straying from its lane several times. During the traffic stop near the intersection of West Bay Ave. and Barnegat Blvd, the officer reportedly discovered an amount of marijuana, as well as related drug paraphernalia — inside the vehicle. The driver was taken into custody and charged with marijuana possession (less than 50 grams) in a motor vehicle and failure to maintain his lane.
— On a Wednesday evening, police stopped a vehicle apparently belonging to a 47-year-old Barnegat resident who was reportedly connected with a domestic violence incident. Police officers at the scene arrested the driver for numerous traffic offenses including reckless driving, failure to produce documents, no wearing his safety belt, as well as driving while intoxicated and breath test refusal.
— During a Sunday evening, police officers arrested and charged a 27-year-old man for operating an automobile during a period of license suspension resulting from a DWI; the arrest occurred along a stretch Rte 9 near Bay Avenue after police received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area. The driver was charged with a fourth-degree based on a New Jersey law passed in August of last year that makes it a crime to operate a motor vehicle under certain circumstances following a conviction for DWI in which the driver’s license is suspended for a particular period of time.
— Several other arrests were made in the Westfield area involving: a 44-year-old female driver who was arrested for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana and later released on bail; a 24-year-old male driver from South River, NJ, was charged with drunken driving following a routine traffic; A 20-year-old Willingboro man was arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) as a result of a motor vehicle stop at Hillcrest and North avenues; and a 24-year-old driver was picked up after a routine police stop, then charged with DWI.
Police arrest man for violation of new DWI license suspension statute, Patch.com, January 10, 2012
Police Blotter: DUI, Theft and an Airgun; Patch.com, December 4, 2011