DWI News

September 18, 2018

New Jersey Judge Barred from Hearing DWI Cases

New Jersey law enforcement takes drunk driving very seriously. If you or someone close to you has been charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), you need to reach out to an experienced New Jersey DWI attorney for skilled advocacy. With extensive experience in this area of law, we will explore every avenue to fight the charges against you.

In New Jersey, a person can be charged with a DWI when he or she operates a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. If you are under 21 years old, the legal limit is 0.01 percent. For a commercial driver, the legal limit is 0.04 percent.

Last year, we wrote about a Municipal judge in New Jersey who allegedly went on an expletive-filled rant when he was approached by cops under suspicion of a DWI. W.B. was pulled over on the shoulder of I-80 in Teaneck on Westbound at 2:13 a.m. on November 12, 2016. When an officer approached the vehicle, W.B. was asleep behind the wheel. The officer noted that a “strong order” of alcohol was emanating from Benitez’s breath and his eyes were bloodshot. The cop then put W.B. through a variety of field sobriety tests, which he failed.

September 11, 2018

“If You Drive High, You Get a DUI” – New Jersey Adopts New Campaign

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If you have been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, obtaining legal counsel early could potentially help you avoid thousands of dollars in fines, and even jail time. Our highly skilled New Jersey DWI attorneys will meticulously analyze the circumstances of your case so we build the strongest defense possible.

You have probably heard of the “Drive Sober, Get Pulled Over” campaign in New Jersey but the state has now launched another campaign. The National Highway Traffic Safety Transportation added this component to its campaign to run through Labor Day weekend – a time when drunk driving accidents typically spike. The new message read as follows “When you feel different, you drive different. If you drive high, you get a DUI.”

In New Jersey, almost one-third of traffic related fatalities in the state involve alcohol impairment. With the possible legalization of marijuana, coupled with increasing drug DWI rate in the state, the campaign aims to alert the public about the consequences of driving under the influence–and perhaps for good reason, since drugged driving rates appear to be on the rise across the country. According to one National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Roadside Survey, more than 22 percent of drivers tested positive for illegal, over-the-counter or prescription drugs.

September 4, 2018

Three New Jersey Cities Make Allstate’s Annual Safest Driving Cities List

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Drunk driving or driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a serious criminal offense with the potential for severe penalties in New Jersey. If you have been charged with a DWI, you need to reach out to a seasoned New Jersey DWI attorney who can help protect your rights. With extensive experience, we understand the nuances of this area of law and can apply our knowledge to your case.

Brownsville, Texas topped the list of cities with America’s safest drivers, according to the 14^th annual Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report. The report ranks the 200 largest cities in the U.S. based on collision frequency. The average driver in the U.S. will experience a collision approximately once every 10 years according to Allstate claims data. The 2018 data shows that New Jersey has 3 of the top 200 safest driving cities in the country, although the number of years between claims for each of these cities fell below the national 10-year average. Jersey city ranked 114 on the list with an average of 8 years between accident claims; Paterson ranked 148 on the list with an average of 7.3 years between accident claims; and Newark ranked 173 with an average of 6.7 years between accident claims.

Car accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, including drunk driving. Just because you have been charged with a DWI does not mean you will automatically be convicted. In some cases, you may be charged with drunk driving when you were not actually guilty of the offense. Perhaps there was a different explanation for your driving or behavior (i.e., fatigue). In other cases, your DWI charge may have originated from improper police conduct (i.e., an illegal stop). We will analyze the facts of your case and determine any and all defenses that are relevant and applicable.

August 21, 2018

Dead Drivers Tested Positive for Drugs More Often than Alcohol In New Jersey, AAA Reports

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A drugged driving charge should never be taken lightly because it can have far-reaching consequences for a person’s life. If you have been charged with or arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of drugs, you need a seasoned New Jersey drugged driving attorney on your side. With extensive experience in this area of law, we understand the defenses that may apply. You can rest assured that we will zealously fight to protect your rights at every step of your case.Drugged driving has become a bigger problem than drunk driving in New Jersey. In fact, according to AAA Northeast, which scrutinized traffic fatality data from the past decade, more dead drivers in New Jersey tested positive for drugs than alcohol in 2016 and 2017, reversing the trend from 2007 to 2014.

Cannabinoids and narcotics were the drugs most commonly found in deceased drivers. The data show that during 2016, about 39 percent of fatally injured drivers tested positive for drugs, with approximately 19 percent testing positive for cannabinoids and 12 percent for narcotics. These figures have significantly increased from 2007, when there were a total of 55 fatally injured drugged drivers, or 15 percent testing positive for drugs, with 6 percent testing positive for cannabinoids and just 3 percent for narcotics. Alcohol on its own, however, played a role in more deaths than any individual drug.

August 7, 2018

Drunk New Jersey Driver Hits 36 Parked Cars

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If you or someone close to you has been charged with a DWI in New Jersey, we can help. With years of experience, our seasoned New Jersey DWI attorneys understand how to protect your rights during every phase of your drunk driving case. We understand the serious negative impact a drunk driving conviction can have on your future, which is why we will zealously protect your rights at every step of the way.In New Jersey, driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher can form the basis of a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge. The limit is lower for underage drivers (i.e., people under the age of 21) and commercial drivers. It is important to note that a person can be charged with a DWI if his or her ability to drive has been impaired by any type of drug (legal or illegal) as well.

Last month, a Union City driver was charged with a DWI after he smashed into 36 parked cars, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The Hoboken Police Department responded to the scene after receiving several calls about a driver in a white 2010 Honda heading north on Bloomfield Street.

July 25, 2018

Woman Drives Drunk to Pick Up Friend Charged with DWI at a New Jersey Police Station

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Driving under the influence of alcohol can lead to serious consequences such as fines, imprisonment and the loss of your driving privileges. If you or someone you know is facing drunk driving charges, you need to reach out to a seasoned New Jersey DWI attorney who can help. With extensive experience, we understand the nuances of this area of law and can aggressively negotiate to lower the penalties you are facing or try to get the charges dismissed altogether.

A Rockaway woman drove drunk to pick up a man who was charged with drunk driving. M.V., age 49, was charged with a DWI and reckless driving when she arrived at the police station appearing to be impaired. She was there to pick up 45-year-old R.W., of Washington, who had called her and asked her to pick him up after he had been charged with a DWI, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and failure to obey traffic signal. Police administered field sobriety tests on M.V., which she failed and subsequently arrested her.

July 9, 2018

Jersey Shore Towns with Least and Most DWI Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If you have been charged with a DWI in New Jersey, you need to reach out to a seasoned New Jersey DWI attorney who can help you understand the laws and penalties involved in your case. With extensive experience in this area of law, we can advocate for your rights every step of the way.

An impaired driving charge in New Jersey is known as a driving while intoxicated (DWI) offense. The basic offense of a DWI consists of a person operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. If an individual is under the age of 21, New Jersey has a zero tolerance policy and that person will be charged with a DWI if he or she has a BAC of 0.01 percent or higher. If a person is behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.10 percent of higher, that person will be charged with an aggravated DWI and face enhanced penalties.

A recent report compiled by Nj.com ranked all the towns along the Jersey Shore from least to most DWI arrests made, based on the square mileage of the town. The data was obtained through the New Jersey Municipal Court statistics from July 2016 to July 2017. The statistics for each town include arrests made by both local and state police.

June 13, 2018

New Jersey Driver Charged with Underage DWI After Falling Asleep at Traffic Light

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If you have been charged with underage DWI in New Jersey, you need a seasoned New Jersey DWI attorney on your side. Drinking and driving is always a bad idea, regardless of your age. However, when underage drivers are charged or convicted of a DWI, it can have far-reaching consequences for their lives. Beyond the traditional penalties, such as fines and license suspension, a DWI conviction could affect your college, employment, and housing applications. Thus, a DWI charge should never be taken lightly. You can trust that we will help build a strong defense in your case.

Earlier this week, a Franklin man was arrested for drunk driving after he was found asleep behind the wheel at a traffic light. The man, just 20 years old, was charged with underage driving while intoxicated, careless driving, failure to keep right, delaying traffic, and failure to observe traffic signal.

Police responded to a report that a motorist was asleep at the light. When an officer arrived at the scene, he noticed that the driver was asleep with his foot still on the brake pedal. The police officer proceeded to wake the driver up, engaged in conversation with him, and determined he was showing signs of intoxication. The man then failed a field sobriety test and was charged.

June 5, 2018

Stricter State Alcohol Laws Reduce Drunk Driving Deaths, Study Says

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A drunk driving charge or arrest can be extremely damaging to one’s professional and personal reputation. If you have been charged with a DWI, you need to reach out to a seasoned New Jersey DWI attorney who can help. With years of experience, we are committed to defending our clients and protecting their rights at every step of the way.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over a million people across the country were arrested for driving under the influence in 2016. That same year, about 28 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the country involved alcohol-impaired driving. While states have tried to implement many different anti-DWI measures over the years, it is hard to know which ones have truly been effective.

In New Jersey, the basic offense of driving while intoxicated (DWI) occurs when a person operates a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or above. It is important to note that a person can be charged with a DWI if they are under the influence of a drug that impairs their ability to drive safely. This can be a legal or illegal drug.

May 30, 2018

Woman Charged with DWI After New Jersey Crash Causes a Child to be Ejected from Car

by Jonathan F. Marshall

DWI charges can have life-long consequences. These charges can be even more severe when they are coupled with other charges, such as operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license or assault by auto. If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) in New Jersey, you need to reach out to a New Jersey DWI lawyer who can help. With years of experience, we know how to defend your case in an effective manner.

Last week, a woman was charged with a DWI after she crashed into the back of a car, causing a 12-year-old child in the back sear to be ejected from the car. The child, whose name was not released, had to be airlifted to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson for serious injuries sustained in the crash. The driver of the vehicle who was rear-ended was not injured, and a third passenger suffered minor injuries.

Police say that the driver had a suspended driver’s license at the time of the accident. As a result, in addition to the DWI, she was charged with assault by auto, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and causing severe bodily injury while operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.