As drunk driving defense attorneys, my legal staff handles a wide range of alcohol- and drug-related cases every year. The defendants in those DWI-related cases have usually been arrested following a roadside police stop arising typically from a rudimentary traffic-related offense. Other accused drunken drivers may have been taken into custody following a traffic accident or an encounter with police at one of the many sobriety checkpoints erected monthly around the state.
Whatever the situation, those individuals who have been detained or arrested and subsequently charged with a DWI, drug DUI, breathalyzer refusal, or other related offense can often find themselves going before a judge who will hear their case. A number of the dozens upon dozens of drinking and driving cases heard every month across the Garden State started off as arrests listed in the police blotter pages of local and state newspapers and news-related websites.
Every week, for those who may be curious, the police blotter section of various news outlets pages enumerate a variety of scenarios in which average drivers have found themselves arrested and charged with an alcohol- or prescription drug-related DWI or DUI offense. Whether the arrest happens in Middlesex, Hudson, Monmouth or Bergen County, as professional DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I have participated in our share of hearings, from car or truck collisions caused by allegedly intoxicated drivers to those motorists accused of possessing a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) in a motor vehicle.
Quite frankly, the team members on my legal staff are no strangers to defending the rights of New Jersey drivers who have been arrested for and charged with driving under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor, or having been impaired behind the wheel due to doctor-prescribed meds or possibly illicit drugs (such as Oxycodone, meth, cocaine or marijuana).
Whether the charge is DWI, DUI or simple possession of weed in a motor vehicle, those individuals who are accused of these types of offenses should take the charges against them very seriously because the implications of a possible conviction can be very harsh and even severe.
Below is a brief summary of some arrests that have taken place in the Ocean County, NJ, area in months past. Many of these illustrate the typical circumstances that tend to surround many of the arrest that usually place a motorist on the wrong side of the law.
Police Pursuit of Aggressive Driver in Manchester Results in DWI Charges
While observing traffic from the roadside in the area of County Rte 530 and Schoolhouse Rd., a Manchester police officer saw what he believed was an aggressive driver almost cause a car crash. The officer stopped the vehicle near the intersection of Hope Rd. and Fairway Ln. During the traffic stop, and as the patrolman approached the suspect’s vehicle, the driver shifted his car into drive and left the scene. Following a brief police pursuit, the 48-yar-old driver was arrested and charged with DWI, plus eluding a police officer and other, multiple traffic violations. He was processed and released pending a hearing date.
Toms River: Single-vehicle Crash into Local Building Nets Barnegat Driver a DWI
According to police reports, a resident from the Barnegat, NJ, area apparently lost control of his sport utility vehicle early on a Wednesday morning. The man’s vehicle subsequently slammed into a medical equipment store in the Oak Ridge Shopping Center near the intersection of Rte 37 and Lakehurst Rd. Based on news articles, the Toms River crash took place around 2am when the driver’s vehicle struck a utility pole and a phone booth prior to hitting the building housing Young’s Medical Equipment.
Due to the severity of the crash, the 36-year-old man had to be extricated from his truck with the help of emergency response team members from Toms River Fire Company. He was then taken to by medevac helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ. Following the incident, police charged the motorist with DWI, as well as failure to wear a seat belt and failure to maintain his lane.
Stafford Police Charge Motorist with Drunk Driving and Drug Distribution
After apparently receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, Stafford Police approached a suspicious vehicle parked in the middle of Gangway Ln in Stafford, NJ. Officers on the scene reportedly found a 21-year-old male asleep behind the wheel with a number of Oxycodone tablets allegedly in his hand and also on his lap. According to news reports, police confiscated more than 65 tablets of Oxycodone and one tablet of Amphetamine from the vehicle itself.
As a result of the incident, the driver was taken into custody and charged with possession of a CDS with the intent to distribute, plus a couple counts of possession of a CDS, as well as operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. The man was eventually released pending an appearance in Stafford Twp. Municipal Court.
Manchester Township Police Arrest Driver for Underage DWI
According to news reports, a Manchester patrolman saw a motor vehicle enter the local SARCO property, after which he followed the driver and effected a police stop. Upon investigating the situation, the officer found the driver, a 19-year-old Cream Ridge man, to be impaired. The motorist was placed under arrest and taken to police headquarters. Based on police reports, 23gm of individually packaged marijuana baggies were found in the vehicle, as well as a number of pieces of related drug paraphernalia.
In addition to underage DWI, the driver was charged with pot possession, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, plus two counts of drug paraphernalia possession and criminal trespass. The suspect was later released on summonses and pending a court hearing.
Manchester Police Arrest Man After Pursuit, OceanCountySignal.com, August 11, 2013
Barnegat man charged with DWI after crashing into a pole, phone booth and building; CourierPostOnline.com; August 8, 2013
Stafford Police Arrest Man on Drug Distribution Charge; DWI; OceanCountySignal.com; July 30, 2013
Manchester Police Make DWI Arrest at SARCO, OceanCountySignal.com, July 27, 2013