In our line of work there is no lack of odd circumstances that arise when considering the range of cases involving drunken driving or drug DUI. Here in the Garden State, police agencies and the officers who work for them are not the least bit sympathetic to drivers who even have merest appearance of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. While this can sometimes result in a motorist being arrested erroneously for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, other DWI arrests are much more legitimate. However this doesn’t mean that nothing can be done when the time comes to go before a judge.
Whatever the circumstances, as a New Jersey law firm providing legal representation to individuals charged with one or more of any number of drunk driving offenses, we highly recommend consulting a qualified DWI trial attorney before taking one step into a courtroom. There is no excuse, with free consultations available from many reputable DWI lawyers, that any person accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription medication not be informed about his or her rights under the law.
Of course, as we stated previously, there are exceptional or at least odd circumstances where a motorist may find himself arrested for DWI-DUI following a police stop. Such was apparently the case a short while back when a Middlesex County man was taken into custody and charged with drunk driving after a police officer noticed a vehicle parked in a restricted area of the Mountainview state prison off Petticoat Lane in Hunterdon County, NJ.
According to news reports, corrections officers at the prison contacted local police to report the suspicious vehicle around midnight on a Tuesday. Arriving at the rear portion of the prison property, the patrolman joined several other correctional facility officers who had already blocked off the roadway, preventing the suspect and his vehicle from leaving the scene.
The officers confronted the man, 79-year-old Willie O’Neil, who apparently had the scent of alcohol emanated from his person. Police also found a partially empty bottle of vodka in the man’s vehicle, after which O’Neil was asked to preform several standardized field sobriety tests, however the man reportedly refused and he was subsequently taken into custody. Officers drove the man to the local police headquarters for a breathalyzer test.
Ultimately, Mr. O’Neil was formally charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless vehicle operation, consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle, possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, as well as refusing to provide a breath sample to police. He was eventually released to the custody of a responsible adult pending a court hearing date; his vehicle was towed away and impounded.
As is often the case with many drinking and driving arrests, the addition of other offenses can make it imperative to seek the assistance of a qualified DWI defense lawyer. If one only takes advantage of a free consultation, the knowledge gained from that meeting will usually show that a skilled attorney can prove invaluable when fighting a drunk driving charge, not to mention other related offenses. Our office is always prepared to offer its services to those individuals who have been accused of DWI, breath test refusal, drug DUI and other impaired driving offenses.
Piscataway man accused of DWI at Mountainview prison in Clinton Township, NJ.com, August 11, 2013