Although it is hardly a stretch to say that a single DWI or drug DUI conviction can change the direction of an individual’s entire life, it’s certainly not unusual for a one-time drunken driving arrest and eventual guilty verdict to greatly impact a person’s career. Aside from the damage that a DWI or DUI conviction can do to someone’s personal relationships or standing in their community, jobs have been lost and careers ruined because of drunk driving.
As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my firm is dedicated to representing individuals accused of driving while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by prescription drugs (drug DUI), as well as those arrested for possessing marijuana and other drugs in a car, truck or other motor vehicle. It may seem difficult for some people to believe the wide-ranging effect that one or more DWI or DUI convictions can have.
This is especially true for those individuals who have intimate contact with the public, or those with jobs that involve the trust and safety of individuals throughout society; the occupations that come quickly to mind would be police officers, state and local officials, judges, school officials, and even teachers and school bus drivers.
For people who hold the aforementioned types of jobs, a drunk driving arrest, much less an actual conviction, can have a quick and devastating effect on their employment situation. All the more reason, why individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription medications, or illegal substances should consult with a qualified DWI attorney. The immediate and long-term consequences of such a conviction are nothing to sneeze at.
A while back, a New Jersey school bus driver was arrested by Westhampton Township police officers after a number of children riding home from school apparently called their parents when they noticed the bus being driven in a reportedly dangerous manner. According to news reports, the 46-year-old bus driver was reportedly falling asleep while operating the township school bus, swerving and alarming the young riders.
Once alerted to the alleged drunken driving incident by their kids, concerned parents contacted local police to try and stop the driver from having an accident. Police reportedly located the bus at Holly Hills School where it had arrived to pick up addition students.
Based on police reports, officers arrested the driver, who was subjected to a breathalyzer test. The results of the breath test, according to news articles, indicated that the woman had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.25 percent (over three times the legal limit in New Jersey). As a result, the driver was taken into custody and charged with 25 counts of driving while intoxicated with a minor, as well as being hit with child endangerment charges.
When it comes to drinking and driving with a child on board, any parent or guardian who is convicted of DWI with a youngster 17 years old or less in the vehicle is also guilty of a disorderly persons offense. In such instances, and likely with the bus driver described in the news articles, that individual forfeits his or her right to operate a motor vehicle for a period of not more than six months.
According to the news article at the time, the driver’s bail was set at $10,000 for the disorderly conduct offense; and another $75,000 was added for the endangerment charges.
NJ school-bus ‘DUI’, NYPost.com, November 12, 2011
NJ woman accused of driving school bus while drunk, MSNBC.com, November 10, 2011