Not all is sweetness and light here in the Garden State, at least as far as those who are regularly arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on our city streets and rural roadways. Although numerous motorists go about their routines in relative bliss, not knowing if a police officer may be observing their every move, others who may have had a drink at lunch or a beer after work with coworkers can be in for a rude surprise if they make even the most innocuous traffic violation.
As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my staff of experienced DWI attorneys understand what those accused of DWI or drug DUI can be up against in the courtroom. As a former municipal prosecutor myself, I know the tactics and strategies that can be used against a defendant who has received a summons for driving under the influence of alcohol or arrested for driving while impaired due to doctor-prescribed medication.
Fortunately, for many people, being pulled over for some kind of traffic infraction does not always lead to an arrest, but for others a simple mistake — such as failure to yield, improper turn or lack of signaling a lane change — can each result in being stopped by a state police officer or municipal patrolman. Whatever the initial cause, a DWI arrest can be financially shocking and/or a social embarrassment; never mind the negative a conviction can have on one’s personal relationships or job prospects down the road.
However an arrest and possible conviction affects one’s future, the advent of a DWI-related police stop is a scenario shared, in general, by many other motorists caught in similar circumstance. The following news items illustrate the variety of drunken driving incidents that end up in DWI charges across the state. We present these as an illustration of what can and does occur regularly throughout the Garden State.
Lambertville Police Arrest Numerous Drivers for DUI-DWI
Municipal patrolmen reported that they charge a 32-year-old woman for driving under the influence after stopping the suspect along a stretch of York Street in the early morning hours. The woman was reportedly observed operating her car in an erratic manner. As a result, she was charged with DWI as well as failure to stay right and careless driving.
In another instance, a 28-year-old West Windsor resident was pulled over and arrested for DWI after police noticed the person’s car being driven erratically and also reportedly having an non-functioning rear taillamp. The driver was charged with reckless driving and non-maintenance of lights, as well as drunken driving.
Whitpain Police Department Nets DWI and DUI Arrests
An early morning police stop resulted in a DUI summons for one local resident after police responded to a report of an accident along a portion of Clearview Avenue. According to news reports, officers arriving at the scene of the crash found a Honda in the yard of a residence with damage to the front lawn and curb. Based on police reports, the 23-year-old driver was found to be intoxicated. He was taken to the local hospital for blood test to determine his BAC level.
Moorestown Police Charge Driver with Marijuana Possession Following DUI
A 25-year-old from Mount Laurel, NJ, was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana after police stopped the man for a routine traffic offense and found the individual to be intoxicated. According to news articles, the suspect was stopped along a stretch of South Church Street and subsequently arrested for DWI.
Lambertville police charge several motorists with DUI, NJ.com, August 27, 2012
Whitpain Police Reports: Retail Theft Arrest, DUI Accident, Identity Theft; Patch.com, August 22, 2012