DWI Stops

March 31, 2012

Red Bank, NJ, Drunken Driving News: Star Trek’s “Commander Sisko,” Avery Brooks, Arrested for DWI

Whether one is driving home from a family get-together, after-hours office party at a local restaurant, or just having a night out with friends, a traffic stop could end up costing you big if the police believe that you may have been drinking and driving. Not only do state and local police here in the Garden State have an extremely low tolerance for drivers who operate their cars while impaired by alcohol or drugs, our DWI laws make a drunk driving conviction less than appealing as well.

And being famous, well-known or even infamous will not typically get someone any special dispensation. The law is the law; sports figures, public servants, business executives, even TV personalities and movie stars can get themselves caught up in a New Jersey drunk driving arrest as quickly as anyone else.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my experienced drunk driving defense team have the skills and training to represent individuals accused of driving while intoxicated, as well as driving under the influence of controlled dangerous substances (CDSs), such as prescription medications, marijuana, and even cocaine. The latter of these are known collectively as drug DUI offenses.
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March 30, 2012

New Jersey Police Blotter: Bergen DWI, DUI and Underage Drinking Arrests in Wyckoff, Glen Rock

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Every day of every week, all across New Jersey, state police and local law enforcement officers make multiple arrests of drivers whom they suspect of being intoxicated by alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication (drug DUI), and sometimes even illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana and meth. While many of these individuals may have had a drink prior to getting behind the wheel, not all of them were necessarily legally drunk at the time of the traffic stop.

As Garden State DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff of legal professionals have decades of collective experience representing people charged with drunken driving in counties such as Ocean, Sussex, Union and Passaic. A percentage of these individuals who have been charged with DWI, drug DUI, refusal to take a breathalyzer test, and other traffic-related infractions, may actually be found guilty. Others may not.

One thing is certain: Here in New Jersey, fines and penalties for drunken driving can be harsh and highly punitive. Some of the most costly aspects of a drunken driving conviction is the potential increase of a driver’s auto insurance premium; this can equal thousands of dollars a year on top of an individuals “normal” insurance costs.
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March 28, 2012

Monmouth County DWI News: New Jersey Nets’ Pre-game Host, Bob Lorenz, Charged with DWI

by Jonathan F. Marshall

While it’s not unusual for entertainment personalities to find themselves arrested for DWI, drunk and disorderly,driving under the influence (DUI) of prescription drugs or illicit substances such as marijuana, it is nonetheless a serious offense that gets most people’s attention. One thing that a DWI arrest can do is get the attention of an individual’s employer, with negative ramifications.

Here in the Monmouth County, my staff of experienced New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys understands the potentially embarrassing and career-altering effects of a drunken driving arrest. Jobs have been lost over less these days; and a DWI or DUI conviction is sure to put some pressure on an employer to reconsider one’s standing with an organization. The term “liability” comes to mind, especially in the case of some more famous, yet potentially expendable personalities.

While there is nothing good about a drunken driving conviction, there are significant monetary penalties associated with one. Higher insurance rates, even for first-time offenders can place a financial burden on some motorists, while jail time is another issue that few people are happy to talk about.
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March 24, 2012

New Jersey Trucker Arrested, Charged with DUI; BAC 8-times Over CDL Legal Limit

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If anyone had a question that a single drunken driving conviction could affect an individual’s future is a major way, just ask any former commercial truck driver who has been found guilty of drinking and driving. When we say this, we don’t just mean DWI while on duty, but on personal time as well. As New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyers, we understand how an arrest for driving under the influence can start a chain of potentially life-changing events for almost anyone.

We are reminded every so often of the complications that a DWI or drug DUI arrest and conviction can present to a professional driver. Whether one operates a delivery truck, a limousine, city bus or taxi cab, being caught on duty or off while impaired due to alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication or illicit drugs, like cocaine or meth, can put the brakes on a career pretty quick.

For this reason alone — and not even thinking about the harsh monetary penalties and fines — it is highly recommended that anyone holding a commercial driver’s license immediately consul with an experienced DWI defense attorney before stepping foot into a courtroom.
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March 22, 2012

NJ Drunk Driving Update: Before a DWI Conviction, Prosecutors Must Prove Guilt — Part 2

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As we’ve previously discussed in this forum, being caught for driving drunk is a serious situation that can lead to harsh penalties and fines, not to mention potential jail time and long-term driver’s license suspension. While most motorists in the Garden State know that a DWI arrest, much less a conviction, can be fraught with troubles for the individual accused of driving while intoxicated.

I and my colleagues, as New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, know that the loss of driving privileges can, by itself, be a serious burden. Not just on an individual, but also on his or her family and friends. Of course, it’s easy to understand that someone who hasn’t been through an ordeal like a drunken driving arrest and trial might not appreciate the extensive downside to the entire experience.

Once a driver is arrested, charged and processed into the system, a pre-trial hearing date is usually set, during which the defendant will either plead guilty or not guilty. If one employs a qualified DWI attorney, then typically the pre-trial can be waved since the defendant’s lawyer will enter a plea of not guilty on the behalf of his or her client. After that, assuming a not guilty plea is entered, a new date is set for the actual drunk driving or drug DUI trial.
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March 20, 2012

Monmouth County, NJ, Driver Causes Accident; Same Man Arrested Hours Later for DWI

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: Driving while intoxicated is one thing, but causing an accident while impaired brings in a whole new set of complications when defending a charge of DWI or drug DUI. This makes complete sense, especially to those who have been arrested for causing a traffic accident while drunk behind the wheel.

As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my staff are prepared to see just about anything in terms of police arrests on Garden State roadways. As experienced drunk driving attorneys, we have represented many clients accused of drunk driving in Hudson, Ocean, Essex and Monmouth County, some of who have actually been accused of causing a DWI-related auto accident.

One thing we don’t usually see is a person involved in a traffic wreck going home and then getting arrested for being drunk later in the day. It sounds hard to believe, or maybe it’s not. But according to recent news reports, this actually happened to one man from Monmouth County.
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March 18, 2012

New Jersey Driver Fails on Appeal of Drunken Driving Conviction on Jurisdictional Grounds

by Jonathan F. Marshall

No driver who lives or works in the Garden State needs to be told that being charged with a DWI offense can lead to harsh penalties if one is convicted for drunk driving. With all the hoopla over enhanced enforcement, saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, one would have to be living under a rock for the past couple decades to understand that police and the courts are not too sympathetic toward motorists caught driving drunk.

This only goes to show that with the potential fines and surcharges, not to mention other penalties, there is no reason not to contact a qualified DWI defense attorney following a drunken driving arrest. As New Jersey DUI-DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff are trained to represent individuals accused of driving while intoxicated by beer or hard liquor, prescription medications or illegal drugs (drug DUI).

It goes without saying that motorists who face severe penalties — such as mandatory license suspension and $4,000 or more in monetary penalties and insurance surcharges, among others — will usually want to fight the charges. And while not all DWI cases end well, there is always the appeals process, which is usually available to defendants who wish to contest a lower court ruling.
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March 17, 2012

Bergen County Police Blotter: Elmwood Park and Wyckoff Patrolmen Arrest Motorists for Drunken Driving, Drug Possession

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Numerous police arrests are made every day across the Garden State against drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or some other intoxicated substance. While a fair percentage of these DWI and drug DUI arrests are perhaps warranted, many others are based on less than substantial evidence. As a former municipal prosecutor here in New Jersey, and now as a drunken driving defense attorney, I find that a percentage of motorists charged with drunk driving will not be found guilty, or will have the charges against them reduced.

While nothing in this world is guaranteed, one thing is certain: if you drive drunk in Jersey long enough, you will be caught at some point, either by the New Jersey State Police or another, local police agency. Please understand that there are severe penalties for drunk driving, drug DUI (such as being impaired by prescription meds or illicit drugs like marijuana and meth) or even breath test refusal.

Of course, the first step is being stopped by a police officer or state trooper. After this, the actual DWI or DUI arrest process may begin in earnest. Every week the news carries updates on local police arrests, much of which can be instructive regarding the typical circumstances that can surround a drunk driving arrest. The following items from Bergen County, NJ, are fairly typical of the kinds of DWI police stops that happen daily. While every drunken driving arrest is unique, most every one begins with a traffic stop by an officer of the law.
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March 16, 2012

DUI Enforcement Update: NJ Sobriety Checkpoints Going Up Tonight, Anticipating St. Patrick’s Day Celebrants

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As drunken driving defense attorneys representing New Jersey residents and other drivers accused of DWI or drug-related impaired driving (drug DUI), I and my legal team have more than 100 years of collective experience in defending individuals charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).

As motorists ourselves, we are pleased to know that state police and local municipal law enforcement personnel are working hard to keep our roadways safe from all manner of traffic hazards and other dangers. And while we commend the law enforcement community for making our streets and highways safer, we can’t help but wonder whether the money spent and the efforts made are not sometimes directed toward innocent motorists are become the focus of drunk driving patrols and sobriety checkpoints for no other reason than a possibly minor traffic infraction.

As a former municipal prosecuting attorney, and now as a drunk driving defense lawyer, I know that from time to time there do occur unjustified drunken driving arrests. From my extensive experience, I do know that a percentage of DWI charges do not, in fact, hold up in court. For this reason, I am committed to representing individuals accused of DWI, drug DWI and breath-test refusal in Middlesex, Hudson, Ocean and Atlantic Counties.
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March 13, 2012

New Jersey Motorists: Think Twice Before Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being hit with a drunken driving summons in New Jersey is not as rare as some may think. One of the more foolproof methods of avoiding DWI charges is, actually, not drinking and driving at all, period. But even drivers who haven’t had a drop of liquor or beer have been know to be arrested for impaired driving; usually because of prescription drugs or use of an illegal substance, such as cocaine or marijuana (drug DUI).

Frankly, with the number of police patrols out and about on Garden State roadways, there is a high probability that someone, somewhere will be arrested for driving while intoxicated today, tomorrow and the next day. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, our job is to represent individuals who have been accused of drunk driving, sometimes falsely, in a court of law.

Under the New Jersey statutes, a motorist can be charged with a number of offenses pertaining to alcohol consumption. These include driving while impaired by beer, wine or some other intoxicating substance, driving under the influence of drugs or doctor-prescribed medication, and even refusal to undergo a breathalyzer test.
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