Morris County DWI Defense

September 27, 2009

Morristown Court Levies 41-year License Suspension on Repeat New Jersey DWI Driving Offender

An East Ruther ford man was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison by a Morris County, NJ, court on September 18 in the culmination of more than one dozen drunk driving convictions and 78 license suspensions over his driving career. Shaun P. Campbell, 40, was sentenced in Superior Court, Morristown, for the auto wreck in Morris Township that he caused while driving under the influence of alcohol this past April, as well as two other DWIs and driving while suspended he accumulated in Wayne and Pequannock in 2008.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer and former municipal prosecutor, I must say that this is one of the most active drunk drivers to come through this state’s court system in a while; which is likely why the Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo requested “enhanced penalties” for Mr. Campbell, and why the court obliged by suspending the defendant’s driver’s license for an astounding 41 years.

Equating the dangers of Campbell’s drinking and driving with the actions of a violent criminal, the court held up his 16 DWI convictions and 78 license suspensions as justification for the sentence, which included a 4 1/2-year prison term, more than $9,000 in fines and the near half-century license suspension.

September 21, 2009

Madison, NJ, Police Respond to Traffic Accident, Arrest Driver for Underage Drunk Driving

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A recent three-car accident in Morris County, New Jersey, resulted in an underage DWI arrest on September 10. During his normal patrol, Patrolman Michael Minni noticed what he discerned to be a loud explosion just before noon on Main Street in downtown Madison. Arriving to investigate, Officer Minni happened on three cars involved in an apparent traffic accident. As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, my law firm represents many clients charged with DWI or drug DUI.

When drunk driving leads to an accident with or without injuries, there is always added effort expended by law enforcement personnel to determine the exact cause and nature of the wreck. In this case, the police found that one of the drivers involved in the collision was under the influence of alcohol.

According to reports, a 19-year-old Springfield man failed to stop, rear-ending a vehicle that was already stopped in traffic. The driver, Brian J. Smith, indicated that his passenger, 20-year-old Steven M. Decter, had left the accident scene following the crash. Police arrested Smith and transported him to headquarters for processing.

September 18, 2009

New Jersey DWI News: Hanover, Jefferson and Morris Township Police Blotter

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As we slowly transition to fall there is still a great deal of sunshine and warm evenings to enjoy. The persistence of weekend parties and late-night gatherings will likely result in numerous drunk driving arrests throughout the Garden State by local and state law enforcement officers. As a New Jersey DWI attorney, I make it a habit to warn friends and associates to drink responsibly and utilize the services of a designated driver whenever necessary.

Morris County communities were recently in the news regarding police reports of intoxicated drivers stopped for driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs, sometimes even illegal drugs. The following are some examples.

Hanover Township
A recent drunk driving checkpoint netted several drivers charged with DWI by the Hanover police between Thursday, September 3, and the following Friday. News reports describe a 47-year-old man from out of state who was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as being issued a motor vehicle summons for possession of drugs in a motor vehicle. A second driver, as 37-year-old Wharton resident was stopped and charged with DWI and driving with a suspended license. Finally, a 61-year-old driver from North Caldwell, NJ, was arrested for drunk driving, as well as reckless driving.

An East Hanover resident was arrested for DWI in the early morning hours after she was pulled over for making an illegal turn on Route 10. According to reports, the 27-year-old woman was arrested after failing several sobriety tests, after which she was taken to police headquarters for a breath test. She was released to a friend after receiving summonses for DWI and making an improper turn.

Jefferson Township
A 24-year-old Wantage resident was stopped by police after the woman’s car struck a guardrail on September 10. She was arrested by police and charged with driving while intoxicated, as well as receiving numerous motor vehicle summonses. Police reports show that the woman was taken to St. Clare’s-Dover Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and was released, pending a municipal court appearance.

A 20-yeal-old local resident was charged with DWI and underage drinking during a motor vehicle stop on Espanong Road on September 7. According to police, the young man was cited and released, pending a court appearance.
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September 11, 2009

New Jersey DWI News: Morris County / Sussex County Police Arrest Log

by Jonathan F. Marshall

August is always a busy time for law enforcement agencies and police departments in Morris and Sussex counties. Dozens of motorists are arrested every month on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or operating a vehicle under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs (DUI). Alcohol and driving don’t mix, but occasionally individuals make mistakes. When it comes to drunk driving, those mistakes can be costly, not only in monetary terms, but also in terms of the negative impact a DWI conviction can have on one’s social and work life.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer, I have represented may clients who have made the mistake of drinking too much and getting into a vehicle. For most of them, it is the first and last time they do that. Whatever the reason, anyone who is pulled over for driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs, I highly recommend that he or she seek profession legal advice from a qualified DWI defense attorney.

The following entries are typical examples of what happens when law enforcement officers encounter drivers that exhibit characteristics of drunk driving.

Morris County
In what likely was a case of underage DWI, Police were called to a Boonton Township residence on August 8 just before 3am by homeowners who were awakened by loud noises on their roof. The homeowner went outside before police arrived and saw several juveniles throwing eggs at his home. Upon seeing the homeowner, the juveniles drove off in an unidentified vehicle. When police did arrive, officers found several empty beer cans and empty egg cartons in the area.

A potential drug DUI situation reportedly involved three people parked in a vehicle in front of a vacant home on Rockaway Drive in Boonton on August 13. Police encountered the group in the late evening hours. Approaching the vehicle, Officers detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the car. They also saw a plastic bag containing marijuana in the rear passenger area. Police arrested the three individuals — a 20-year-old from Parsippany and two 19-year-olds, one from Morris Plains and the other from Boonton Township — and charged them with possessing less than 50 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Two marijuana pipes were also confiscated.
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August 21, 2009

NJ DWI Update: Morris County Police to Step Up Drunk Driving Patrols

by Jonathan F. Marshall

According to news reports, nearly two dozen Morris County police departments will begin to crack down on drunk drivers starting today. The concentrated effort focused on intoxicated drivers, which runs through Labor Day, is part of an annual national campaign known as “Over the Limit, Under Arrest.” As an experienced New Jersey DWI defense attorney, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that a percentage of the arrests made during this initiative will involve drivers who do not deserve a drunk driving conviction on their record.

In Morris County, 21 individual police departments will be participating, including Butler, Chester Township, Jefferson, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham, Mount Olive, Netcong, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Washington Township and eight others.

As part of this national effort, which has continued annually since 1999, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides federally-funded grants in the amount of $6,000 to each participating police agency for the two-week program.

August 14, 2009

Drunk Driving Arrest News: New Jersey Police Blotter

by Jonathan F. Marshall

South Orange — An Essex County, New Jersey, resident was stopped by police around 1:30 a.m. on August 7 when and officer saw a car apparently speeding on Sloan Street, after which it poorly negotiated a left turn onto South Orange Avenue. After making the traffic stop, other officers arrived at the scene where they detected the scent of alcohol on the driver’s breath indicating that the man was probably drunk. A passenger in the front seat also appeared to be intoxicated. Police administered a field sobriety test to the 43-year-old Maplewood resident, which he failed. The man became upset following the test. Police arrested him for DWI, took him into custody and impounded his vehicle.

South Orange — On August 8, in the early morning hours, a patrolman noticed a vehicle parked in front of 67 South Orange Avenue with the motor running, headlights burning and right-front tire completely flat. On closer inspection, the officer could see that the 28-year-old Greenbrook, NJ, resident appeared to be sleeping. The officer attempted to awaken the man, who became somewhat responsive after several minutes. Interviewing the conscious driver, the police officer could detect the odor of alcohol on the man’s breath. Other officers were called to the scene and the man was removed from the vehicle and given several field sobriety tests, all of which he failed. Police arrested the man and transported him to headquarters where a test for blood alcohol content (BAC) showed a reading of 0.13 percent.

Madison — A 49-year-old Irvington resident was stopped for careless driving by local police officers late in the evening of July 31. During the traffic stop, officers noticed that she was inebriated, after which she was charged with drunk driving and later released to a family member.

July 23, 2009

All-terrain Vehicle Rider Arrested for Drunk Driving in Morris County

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It’s not uncommon for some New Jersey residents to mix recreational off-road riding with alcohol, though the two hardly go well together. Whether it’s a motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile or dirt bike, driving while intoxicated can be dangerous. The New Jersey State Police, as well as local law enforcement agencies, keep a watch for drunk drivers on- and off-road. During the summer, boaters caught piloting their powerboats while under the influence of alcohol also run the risk of being arrested for DWI.

Recently, a Bergen County man was stopped for riding his all-terrain vehicle on private property. The criminal trespass charges would have been bad enough, but Mount Olive police also noticed that the rider was intoxicated. As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, my firm has defended folks like Piotr Dabek, the owner of that ATV. He was caught near Crease Road last Sunday after neighbors called police to report a stranger riding his ATV on private property.

According to reports, Dabek tried to run from the Mount Olive police officer dispatched to the scene. After a short foot chase through a wooded area, the officer caught up to the 30-year-old suspect. Bringing Dabek back to his patrol car, the officer gave the man several field sobriety tests, including a balance test, which Dabek failed. The officer then placed him under arrest and charged the man with DWI and criminal trespass. Police also impounded Dabek’s all-terrain vehicle.
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July 18, 2009

Madison, NJ, Police Blotter: Recent Alcohol DWI Traffic Stops and Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As a New Jersey drunk driving and drug DUI defense lawyer, as well as a former municipal prosecutor, I know that on any given day local police will make dozens of DWI arrests across the Garden State. Similarly, our local courts see hundreds of driving while intoxicated cases come through their doors every month. Madison, NJ, is no different than other communities throughout the country. Here are just a few recent examples of DWI arrests in this part of Morris County.

July 7 — A law enforcement officer stopped an 18-year-old man in the late evening hours after the patrolman observed a car traveling at a high rate of speed on Route 24. The officer also noticed the driver did not keep right, after which he pulled the suspect over and saw that the driver had a bottle of brandy in the car. The resident of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with underage possession of alcohol. He was later released pending a court appearance.

July 9 — Following an evening traffic stop, an officer arrested two 20-year-old women from Chatham for underage possession of alcohol. The suspects’ Cadillac was observed doing 40mph in a 25mph zone and was subsequently pulled over. During the stop, the officer noticed three 30-packs of beer in the rear seat. Both individuals were later released pending their court appearances.

July 16, 2009

East Rutherford Man with 15 Career DWIs to be Sentenced by Morris County Court

by Jonathan F. Marshall

There are just some people that you can’t help. As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I have represented many multiple drunk driving offenders, but few like Shaun Campbell of Bergen County, New Jersey. Most of the clients I have worked with learn their lesson and try to make a clean start of things following a brush with the law as it applies to driving under the influence of alcohol. But other people convicted of driving while intoxicated go back and make the same mistakes over and over again. So it has been for Mr. Campbell.

According to reports, the 40-year-old Campbell had his license suspended nearly 80 times during his 22-year driving career. His admission of guilt to his 15th DWI charge was the latest in a string of convictions. This particular case involved an April head-on collision in Morris Township when Campbell, self-described as being plastered on beer, drove his sport utility vehicle into a Ford pickup truck driven by a Chatham man and carrying that man’s four-year-old daughter. Luckily, no one was killed.

Campbell pled guilty to assault by auto, DWI and driving while on the revoked list. The Morris County assistant prosecutor has recommended that Campbell receive the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison for the assault by auto, and consecutive 180-day terms on the drunken-driving and revoked license charges. He also recommended that Campbell receive an extra 90-day term as an enhanced penalty on the license revocation offense.

July 7, 2009

Morris County, NJ, Drunk Driving News: DWI and Drug DUI Police Blotter

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Mount Olive

A 57-year-old Hackettstown woman was stopped by police last Saturday and charged with driving while intoxicated, failure to stay within her lane, and reckless driving. The drunk driving arrest occurred in Morris County, New Jersey, following a traffic stop on Oakwood Drive. The lady was released and currently has a court appearance pending.

Several potential drug DUIs recently occurred this past weekend. The first involved a 17-year-old juvenile from Long Valley, NJ, who was stopped by police for failure stay within his lane, as well as drug possession in vehicle. The stop took place on Route 46, after which the young man was released to one of his parents.