Drug DWI

December 18, 2012

New Jersey Receiving Millions in Anti-Drunk Driving Grants for DWI Enforcement across the Garden State

For anyone who wonders if the nation’s financial woes have impact enforcement of drunken driving laws here in the Garden State, the short answer is likely, No, at least in the near term. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my legal staff talk to dozens of individuals every month who have been accused of driving while intoxicated. Although many of these people believe they are not guilty, some may be convicted of DWI or drug DUI and others may not. Whatever the circumstances surrounding a drunken driving arrest, it’s always a good idea to get some perspective from a qualified defense attorney.

Getting back to the issue of DWI-DUI enforcement, such as roadside sobriety checkpoints and roadblocks, as well as enhanced drunk driving patrols, recent news articles show that the funding of state and municipal police agencies continues apace regardless of talk swirling around Washington, D.C, to limit costly appropriations and government-funded programs.

Regardless of whether one is arrested in the city streets of Trenton, Toms River or Princeton, odds are that some motorists will be picked up by a police officer whose overtime is paid for by federal money received by New Jersey law enforcement agencies. The question that many people may be asking themselves is whether these expenditures are worth even a significant increase in drunken driving arrests and DWI or drug DUI summonses.
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December 10, 2012

The Joyous Holiday Season Can See More DWI Patrols, Frequent Drunk Driving Arrests for NJ Residents

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Throw another Yule log on the fire and pour a bit more holiday cheer, but be very careful not to celebrate and drive all in the same timeframe. Here in the Garden State, like many areas around the country at this time of the year, the period from Thanksgiving through New Years’ Eve can see increases in police anti-drunken driving patrols, as well as roadside sobriety checkpoints
We all know the dangers of drunk driving, driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by doctor-prescribed medications, so let’s just say that staying sober on the road this holiday season is the best defense against a DWI arrest or a drug DUI summons. As New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys, it’s our experience that helps people accused of driving under the influence of beer, wine, hard liquor and even illegal substances, such as cocaine and marijuana. New Jersey drivers themselves can do themselves a big favor by finding a sober ride home if they’ve had too much to drink at a family get-together, holiday open house or seasonal office party.

As many people already know, state police and municipal law enforcement departments are constantly on the alert for drivers who break the law by drinking and driving. And while a DWI arrest rarely begins with an officer assuming a driver is drunk behind the wheel of his or her automobile, the results of many holiday traffic violations can end up with a motorist being arrested and charged with DWI or DUI, not to mention other moving violations. We won’t even mention those arrests that come after a roadway collision that may or may not have been the result of driving drunk.
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October 17, 2012

Being Caught with Marijuana is No Joke, Especially if a Drug DUI Charge is Involved

by Jonathan F. Marshall

There’s no mistaking the fact that whatever you call it, weed, cannabis, hash or whatever, marijuana is clearly the most common illegal substance in use here in the Garden State. This drug is very often the cause of many arrests in cities such as Newark, Jersey City and Patterson and the subject of illegal drug charges defended by many criminal defense attorneys. Oddly, marijuana is also becoming legalized as a medicinal drug in many portions of the U.S. Nevertheless, recreational use is not legal and can get people in serious trouble with the law.

As one of the most common drugs of choice, with billions of dollars of the plant being grown in nearly every corner of the country, marijuana can get one arrested even if you aren’t smoking it. If a police officer pulls a driver over after observing a traffic offense, even a minor one, the opportunity exists for that patrolman to question the driver and other occupants of the vehicle. Here in the Garden State, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while in possession of marijuana, not to mention being impaired as a result of smoking or otherwise ingesting the drug.

As New Jersey DWI and drug DUI defense lawyers, our legal team has more than four decades of experience defending motorists against various types of charges including possession and distribution. In fact, there are numerous potential offenses involving weed and its possession, sale and use. These include: manufacturing and distribution, possession, use or sale in a school zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, operation of a marijuana grow house, possession in a passenger car or other motor vehicle, and others.
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August 14, 2012

Driver Goes to Prison for Fatal DWI-DUI Traffic Accident that Injured Two New Jersey Men

by Jonathan F. Marshall

We’ve said it previously, but there are worse situations to be in than receiving a summons for drunken driving from the police. Of course, being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not something the average motorist is likely to welcome, but if one has to be cited for DWI it’s certainly better to be stopped for a minor traffic infraction first, than to be involved in a roadway accident.

The fact of the matter is, here in the Garden State, the police and our court system tend to be very strict when it comes to a charge of drunk driving; but add to that additional charges of property damage, bodily injury or even vehicular homicide and one can imagine that defending against the DWI or drug DUI charge will be much tougher than a simple summons for intoxicated driving.

As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my staff are acutely aware of the range of penalties for those motorists who are convicted of driving under the influence. It makes little difference whether one is drunk through the consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor, or if the charge of DUI is related to impairment as a result of doctor-prescribed medication. Naturally, other drugs, controlled substances like cocaine and marijuana, are actually illegal in and of themselves.
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July 23, 2012

Sussex County Police Make Arrests for Drunken Driving as well as Marijuana Possession

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Police blotters all around the Garden State paint a picture of the typical arrests that take place on a daily basis across this state. Whether in Passaic, Bergen, Atlantic or Ocean County, drunken driving charges are quite often on the menu for many motorists up and down the interstates and local roadways. For anyone who has ever wondered if they were the only one to receive a summons for driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs or even illicit drugs like marijuana or cocaine, understand that you are not alone.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my legal staff firmly believe that every person accused of DWI or drug DUI has a right to have their day in court. We have represented numerous individuals who adamantly believed that they were innocent of the charges. As defense attorneys, our job is to fight for our clients in a court of law. While the circumstances may vary, the charges are usually quite similar. Our defense strategy, of course, depends on the particular details of the case and whether the accused has had any previous drunken driving convictions.

The following is a collection of impaired driving arrests from several municipalities in Sussex County not long ago. Those arrested and charged may or may not end up being convicted, but the stage has been set for each of them once the police have reasonable suspicion that the driver may have been operating his or her vehicle while intoxicated by beer, wine or doctor-prescribed medicine.
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July 18, 2012

Police Arrest New Jersey Driver for 4th DUI/DWI Arrest in the Span of One Month

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Some people apparently do not realize when enough is enough. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my staff of experienced drunken driving lawyers are committed to representing individuals who have been accused of driving while intoxicated, either by alcohol or prescription drugs. But even though we believe that every person deserves their day in court, we certainly do not espouse drinking and driving, or even suggest that repeat offending is the way to go through life.

Not only is driving under the influence against the law, but it is dangerous when a driver is impaired beyond the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. The same can be said for doctor-prescribed medications as well; and even illicit substances, such as cocaine and marijuana. While some may disagree with the laws of this state, the fact is that law enforcement officers are tasked with rooting out those who they believe have broken the law and to bring those individuals to justice. For ourselves, we bring the fight to a court of law when a client believes he or she was unjustly accused of DWI or drug DUI.

There are those people who sometimes push the limits of the court’s patience. Being arrested multiple times for drunk driving is a way of one’s defense slightly more difficult. As attorneys representing defendants who have been charged with DWI or DUI, we know that putting the best face on a situation can be difficult once a track record of offenses has been established. For this reason along we suggest prudence to anyone who has already been convicted of drunken driving one or more times. But then again, most individuals know the stakes are high.
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July 7, 2012

Arrested for Drug DUI or Marijuana Possession in a Motor Vehicle? Consider Your Options

by Jonathan F. Marshall

With more than 40 years of collective litigation experience defending clients for such offenses as marijuana possession, driving while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, breath test refusal and drug DUI, my firm has the skills and experience to work in our clients’ best interests. Whether one lives in Bergen, Passaic, Ocean or Atlantic County, the law treats motorists the same when it comes to DWI/DUI offenses.

As a former Garden State municipal prosecutor, I myself have handled hundreds of similar cases for the state; for this reason alone, I and my legal staff understand the strategies used by state and local prosecutor’s officers to obtain convictions for drunken driving and drug DUI, among others. The attorney’s in my office routinely address courts throughout the state, representing clients who have been accused of possession, use and other cannabis-related offenses. No matter if a person is charged with marijuana possession, intent to distribute weed, or other marijuana associated offenses, we believe that everyone has the right to face their accusers and defend themselves in a court of law.

It has become abundantly clear over the years that marijuana is one of the most frequently used drugs out there. As a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), weed, Mary Jane, or whatever one chooses to call it, is obviously the most common drug we as drug DUI lawyers have encountered during our careers. With marijuana arrests almost as commonplace as those for DWI, it should not come as a surprise to learn that more than $30 billion of this illicit drug is grown in the U.S. annually.
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June 2, 2012

Reviewing the Reasons and Procedures for DWI-related Field Sobriety Testing

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Understanding the processes and steps that take place during a drunk driving traffic stop can sometimes serve to prepare certain people who may find themselves in similar situations in the future. When it comes to a DWI arrest, not to mention a possible future conviction, understanding the order of things can help in putting the entire drunken driving arrest, prosecution and conviction process in perspective.

Of course, no one ever wants to be stopped and arrested by a municipal police officer or state trooper for driving under the influence of alcohol, but the possibility does indeed exist. And, as no reasonable person would welcome the scenario where he or she is slapped with extensive monetary penalties following a drunk driving conviction, one would have to believe that avoiding such an incident would be all the more preferable to being convicted of DWI and having that mark on one’s record for years to come.

Still, there always exists the chance for a drunk driving arrest, especially if one has had a drink or two before getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. This possibility is real and exists for any driver who may have even a little bit of alcohol prior to being stopped for some other traffic offense, such as running a red light or making an illegal turn. DWI arrests can precipitate from some of the most innocuous traffic offenses.
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February 12, 2012

Mercer County DWI News: State Police Report More Drunken Driving, DUI Arrests this Super Bowl Weekend

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It could be an indication that economy is bouncing back more and more, or it might be that the NY Giants pulled off a nail-biting performance during Super Bowl XLVI. Whatever the reason, apparently more people were “celebrating” the occasion last weekend than this same time in 2008. And to what or whom do we owe this information? Why the New Jersey State Police, who else?

As drunken driving defense attorneys representing those Garden State residents who have been accused of DWI, drug DUI and other charges of impaired driving, we certainly understand the correlation between sporting event and holiday celebrations and the rise or fall in drunk driving arrests. Here in New Jersey, where anti-DWI campaigns are common and state and local police agencies flood the roadways with drunken driving saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, there should never be any surprise as to the number of DWI and DUI arrests during any particular period of time.

This is not to say that New Jersey is unique, but we do get our share of drivers hitting the road while under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs and even illegal substances, such as marijuana, cocaine and meth-based drugs. Once charged by a state or municipal police officer, a driver typically must go before a judge to either defend himself against the charges or admit responsibility.
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February 2, 2012

Bergen County DWI Update: Drunken Driving Conviction Can Lead to Revoked NJ Driver’s License

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If there is one thing that most people need to live and work in our modern age, outside of food and lodging, it might be a valid driver’s license. From the day we receive our learner’s permit — and later a full-fledged license — we begin to value the freedom of movement that driving a car or truck provides. However, for many people, the state can revoke, suspend or otherwise withhold a motorist’s driving privileges for certain convicted offenses.

Whether one lives in Monmouth, Ocean or Sussex County, for those caught up in a drunken driving arrest it is not so far flung of a statement to suggest that a temporary, and sometimes long-term, loss of their New Jersey driver’s license could be in the offing depending on the nature of the charges and the driver’s history of DWI, drug DUI, or other impaired driving offenses.

Considering the freedom and independence that a license imparts to an individual, it’s hardly worth tempting fate with a drunk driving arrest, much less a potential conviction. Still, circumstances can arise leaving a driver in the unenviable position of losing his or her driver’s license based on a local court’s ruling following a guilty verdict or guilty plea regarding charges of driving while intoxicated, or operating a motor vehicle while impaired by prescription medication.
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