As experienced DWI defense lawyers, my law firm understands how many drivers who are accused of DWI can be quite nervous about the serious consequences they may be facing following a drunken driving arrest. It is important to note, however, that some instances of drunk driving may be much more damaging for one person than for another. In fact, a DWI conviction — or even simply an arrest for alleged DWI-DUI can severely impact some individual’s future career opportunities.
Commercial truck drivers come immediately to mind when the topic of intoxicated driving comes up. But other people, not just professional drivers, can suffer the aftereffects of a DUI conviction in many ways. The question of trust, employee safety and company liability are all serious issues that companies, both large and small, must consider when an employee is found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Like it or not, the complications of a DUI-DWI arrest and subsequent conviction can have long-term effects on many New Jersey drivers.
We were reminded of the havoc that a DWI conviction can have on some individuals just a short time ago when we read a news report of a Bayville woman who was taken into custody by Toms River police after she allegedly slammed into a fire hydrant with her car early on a Friday afternoon. Apparently, the 50-year-old woman had recently been hired as a babysitter by a local woman to take care of her son at home. Based on police reports, the officers stated that the babysitter had been discovered drunk at her employer’s home earlier that day.
According to police, the mother left her son in the care of Susan Porfido-Gibson around 10am that Friday. At 1:45pm, upon arriving back home, the mother found Ms. Porfido-Gibson allegedly passed out drunk on the floor. The infant son was crying nearby. After apparently being awakened by the home owner, the babysitter reportedly fled the house as she allegedly stumbled out, mumbling something unintelligible, according to police reports.
Minutes after the encounter between the mother and the sitter, a Toms River traffic officer responded to a report of a car crash along a portion of Reynolds Street. Arriving on the scene, police found a late-model Honda sedan with moderate front-end damage. The vehicle, which was reportedly being driven by Ms. Porfido-Gibson, had struck a fire hydrant. Officers arrested the woman after finding three empty bottles of some kind of alcoholic beverage inside the babysitter’s vehicle.
Based on news articles, police measured the woman’s blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) and found it to be three times the legal limit. Besides being charged with driving while intoxicated by alcohol, the woman was charged with child endangerment and alcohol possession in a motor vehicle. According to reports at the time, Ms. Porfido-Gibson was being held in the Ocean County jail on $50,000 bail pending a court hearing.
Needless to say, such an incident can have a negative impact on anyone who makes a living taking care of children. Consulting a qualified DWI-DUI defense attorney may be the best first step for individuals who find themselves in similar circumstances. The important thing to remember is that a conviction for drunken driving should never be a foregone conclusion; however, doing nothing will not improve anyone’s chances of having charges reduced or dropped.
Toms River, N.J., nanny accused of endangering child, DWI; 7Online.com; August 2, 2014