On too many occasions, individuals accused of drunken driving walk into a courtroom with no representation and very little preparation, apparently ready to accept the court’s judgment on something that could haunt them for years to come. Here in the Garden State, it is always a good idea to seek counsel from an experienced legal professional regarding a DWI or drug DUI summons. If winning one’s case was not enough impetus for some, perhaps avoiding hundreds and likely thousands of dollars in fines, fees, assessment and other costs related to a drunk driving conviction should help influence many people’s decision.
At the very least, even if someone is not disposed to retaining the services of a qualified attorney, there is much one can learn from an initial consultation, which in the end may point an individual in the right direction. We know this from our professional experience as New Jersey DWI-DUI defense lawyers. As a former municipal prosecutor myself, I understand the strategies used by prosecuting attorneys that are tailored to attain a guilty plea or gain a guilty judgment against a defendant in a DWI case.
Although receiving a summons for drunk driving following a routine traffic stop should never be taken lightly by drivers in the Garden State, there are worse alcohol-related scenarios that can result in much worse outcomes for one accused of DWI. More to the point, being concerned about an arrest that takes place at a typical sobriety checkpoint is natural; however, consider how much more serious one’s position should an arrest follow the aftermath of an injury-related traffic accident that may have been alcohol-related.
As attorneys who have defended hundreds of individuals accused of DWI, drug DUI, breath test refusal, underage drinking and driving, as well as criminal defense cases, my firm have decades of collective experience in courtrooms throughout the state. Quite simply, I and my colleagues have been representing motorists charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, doctor-prescribed medications, and even illicit substances for many years.
Though most drivers who are brought up on charges of driving while intoxicated, fewer are charged with vehicular manslaughter or assault with a motor vehicle. And as one can guess, being arrested for a DWI-related injury accident or accused of vehicular homicide can be an unnerving experience that nobody would want to consider. And while many might debate the relative merits of being represented by a DWI defense attorney for a basic drunken driving charge, when it comes to fatal or serious injury accidents involving drinking and driving, looking for an experienced DWI attorney may be the best first step one could take.
Especially true in cases like the one we read of a while back, being named as the defendant in a fatal drunk driving case is in no way the same as receiving a summons for a more or less “simple” drunk driving arrest at a DWI checkpoint. Keep in mind that while a poorly executed defense against a basic drunk driving charge may result in hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars in fines and other penalties, being convicted of a fatal drunk driving crash could be much, much worse.
For example, police in Bridgewater Twp., NJ, took an out-of-state driver into custody following a fatal crash along a stretch of Chimney Rock Rd. in Somerset County following a deadly Friday morning car accident. According to news articles, the crash occurred a little bit before 1am as a 27-year-old driver, who was heading northbound on Chimney Rock, apparently lost control of his sport utility vehicle. Police said the vehicle left the right side of the road, traveled up a nearby embankment and then rolled over back into the path of traffic.
Based on news reports, a 26-year-old passenger in the SUV was partially ejected from the truck as it overturned. Rescue personnel arriving at the scene of the incident were able to render aid to the driver and passenger, both of whom were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries. At the time of the news article, police believed that the driver was inebriated at the time of the crash. Authorities had already pressed charges of DWI and other moving violations; however, they were yet to decide if additional charges may have been in the offing for the driver.
Driver Was Drunk When SUV Flipped, Cops Say; Patch.com, September 10, 2012