Non-resident DWI Arrests

August 9, 2012

Morris and Burlington PD Blotters: Police Officers Report Multiple Instances of DWI and Marijuana Possession

As anyone familiar with the Garden State criminal and civil law will know, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication and even illicit drugs like marijuana or cocaine are all offenses seriously frowned upon by state and local law enforcement agencies. This is actually an understatement, since police are constantly patrolling the streets of Monmouth, Sussex, Atlantic and Hudson counties watching for drivers who are operating their vehicles in an erratic manner.

Although a patrolman cannot stop a driver simply on a hunch that he or she is intoxicated by beer or wine or high on drugs, if that driver errs in any way that provides the officer an opportunity to pull that motorist over for a traffic infraction, the jig as they say may be up — at least initially. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, I and my staff of experienced drunken driving lawyers have decades of cumulative experience in defending those accused of driving while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).

Impaired driving can take the form of any number of scenarios in which a driver may exhibit signs of drunkenness or drug-related impairment. And while drinking beer, wine or hard liquor is not strictly against the law — except of minors — excessive consumption mixed with operating a motor vehicle can be grounds for a DWI arrest. And hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear of a handful of DWI arrests or drunk driving summonses being issued to New Jersey residents; which is to say that anyone who has been arrested for DWI or drug DUI is, for lack of a better phrase, in good company.
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March 31, 2012

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

by Jonathan F. Marshall

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 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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December 20, 2011

Hudson County, NJ, Police Arrest Driver on DUI, Illegal Drug Possession Charges

by Jonathan F. Marshall

For those who have been arrested or charged with driving under the influence of either prescription drugs or other, possibly illegal substances (also known as drug DUI), you may wonder if the police and the prosecutor’s office have the necessary evidence to secure a guilty verdict in court. Depending on the circumstances, one should always consider consulting a qualified DWI defense attorney; one with experience in representing motorists charged with drunken driving and drug DUI.

As New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues are trained to work with the facts and understand the State’s evidence against and individual. Whether one lives or works in Bergen, Monmouth, Ocean or Atlantic County, the law is clear when it comes to charges related to DUIs tied to prescription medication and even illicit drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

Defending a person accused of drug DUI has certain differences from an alcohol-related DWI case. Here in the Garden State, a charge of drug DUI can be levied against a New Jersey motorist who may be suspected of driving while impaired due to a possible controlled dangerous substance (CDS) or doctor-prescribed medication. These include any narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-forming drug.
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October 27, 2011

Drunk Driving Stats Show Decrease Nationwide, But New Jersey Arrests Holding Steady

by Jonathan F. Marshall

One would think that with all the extra anti-drunken driving enforcement across this state that surely New Jersey would be experiencing a decrease in DWIs just like the rest of the nation. Apparently, that’s hardly the case. Whether due to what some might call “over-enforcement” or because the Garden State has such a large population that it tends to set its own standards, one thing is for certain: this is not the place to get behind the wheel in anything near an impaired condition.

From Passaic to Ocean and Bergen to Cape May County, local and state police are constantly on the alert for any motorist that may be inebriated. Intoxication due to beer, wine or hard liquor; or impairment from prescription medication or even illicit drugs like cocaine and marijuana, this state’s law enforcement community is reportedly racking up its share of DWI and drug DUI arrests on a weekly basis.

As New Jersey drunk drivin defense attorneys, we know how easy it can be to be stopped on the road while legally intoxicated. Even those people who believe whole-heartedly that they are not drunk have been arrested and taken before a magistrate to face stiff penalties for DWI, DUI, breath test refusal and other drunk driving-related charges.

A recent news article seems to indicate that, here in New Jersey, the number of arrests for driving under the influence is not declining in concert with the nationwide drop in drunk drivers. What does it mean? Well, it would appear that New Jersey drivers in places such as Ocean County’s Barnegat Twp. need to consider that local police are still out in force, arresting drunken drivers and handing out summonses at about the same rate as in prior years.
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August 5, 2011

Mercer County, NJ, Drunk Driving News: DWI and Drug Possession Arrests in East Windsor Twp.

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As drunken driving defense attorneys, I and my experienced staff of DWI lawyers understand the monetary and legal implications of a drunken driving or prescription drug DUI arrest faced by many motorists. Getting a ticket for driving under the influence is nothing to take lightly, even as a first-time DWI offender. Although it may not appear to be a serious issue, many people do not realize the potentially life-altering events that a drunk driving conviction can set in motion.

Of course, even a summons for driving while intoxicated or breath test refusal can impact a person’s personal life, job situation or standing in his or her local community. Add a conviction on top of an arrest, and this can translate into a significant event for almost anyone accused of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, prescription drugs or other controlled dangerous substance, such as marijuana.

As a New Jersey drunken driving and drug DUI attorney, my firm defends individuals from all around the Garden State including Monmouth, Atlantic, Burlington and Hudson counties. And while the facts behind every DWI or drug DUI case are unique, the circumstances of the arrest can be similar. As well, the consequences and possible DWI penalties for a drunk driving conviction in New Jersey are usually very comparable based on the seriousness of the charges.

Below are a number of news items from around Mercer County, based on police blotter information from local news sources. These few items represent just a fraction of the arrests that take place every week in and around the state. Of these, police officers make dozens of arrests for variety of drunk driving and prescription medication DUI violations. The penalties for drivers found guilty of DWI or drug-impaired operation of a motor vehicle can be quite costly.
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July 22, 2011

Bergen County DWI Arrest News: Police Charge Drunken Driver after Motorist Hits Pedestrian at Meadowlands

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It appears that many of the stories we find in the news these days involve accused drunken drivers who have become involved in a car or truck accident as a result of their alleged alcohol consumption or use of prescription medication (drug DUI). A smaller percentage of accidents also involve individuals accused of illegal drug use, such as marijuana or cocaine (otherwise known as controlled dangerous substances, or CDS for short).

Regardless of whether a motorist lives or works in Sussex, Monmouth, Ocean or Passaic County, the aftermath of a potential DWI or drug DUI conviction can haunt a person for years following the initial incident. For this very reason it is always a good idea to retain the services of a competent and qualified drunken driving defense lawyer, if only to determine what your options might be following a DWI arrest.

For those picked up by police for drunk driving as a first offense, it may seem too easy to accept the penalties and plead guilty, while under the false impression that only one DWI conviction will not cause too much upheaval in one’s life. Or those people who believe this is the best approach to a DWI-DUI arrest or summons, we couldn’t disagree more.

To start, accepting a guilty plea for a first-time drunken driving offense may seem to be the easiest way to go — and believe us, it is for the prosecuting attorney handling the case — this is not going to make one’s life easier. The penalties for a first offense may be slightly less than a second or third DWI offense, but the impact to one’s auto insurance rates as well as the potential damage to one’s personal and business reputations could be catastrophic.
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June 22, 2011

New Jersey Motorist Charged with DWI after Hitting Police Chief’s Patrol Car

by Jonathan F. Marshall

The last time we mentioned unintended consequences. Well, there are unintended consequences for driving while intoxicated, either by alcohol, prescription meds, or illicit drugs such as marijuana or cocaine… and then the are unintended consequences of those original consequences, so to speak. One consequence that we would prefer not to see any person have to defend himself against is hitting a police vehicle while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers representing individuals from counties such as Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington and Passaic, we can say without much trepidation is don’t even think of assaulting a law enforcement officer with a vehicle, drunk or not. This is a serious offense that can complicate a drunken driving defense without a doubt.

Not surprisingly, this type of helpful advice is ignored by more than a few people every year here in the Garden State. Such was the case for an out-of-state driver last month when he crashed his SUV into an Elmwood Park, NJ, police vehicle being used by none other than the department’s chief of police.

According to news reports, the accident happened around 2:30am on May 15 as Police Chief Donald Ingrasselino and Lieutenant Frank Thorpe were heading to a DWI sobriety roadblock in Bergen County. Based on police reports, Chief Ingrasselino and Lt. Thorpe were traveling eastbound along Rte 46 toward the drunken driving checkpoint being operated that morning at Midland Avenue when their Dodge Durango was struck.
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December 16, 2010

Monmouth County, NJ, Drunk Driving News: Multiple New Jersey DWI and Drug DUI Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Drunken driving arrests happen daily in New Jersey. As Monmouth, Atlantic andMiddlesex County DWI lawyers, I and my staff have the skills and experience to represent those individuals accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription medication and even illegal drugs such as marijuana. The following list of intoxicate driving arrests and other DUI offenses are a sampling of the situations in which many New Jersey motorists find themselves from time to time.

Holmdel
A 22-year-old out-of-state driver was reportedly stopped on Telegraph Hill Road for driving while intoxicated. A police patrol apparently noticed the man’s vehicle being driven in a possibly erratic manner, after which the driver was pulled over. He was arrested for DWI and taken to police headquarters for processing. The man was later released pending a court appearance.

On that same day, a 24-year-old motorist was pulled over along a stretch of Rte. 35 by a police officer and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence. The man was later taken to headquarters, processed and released pending a future court appearance.

Three young people, two men and a woman under the age of 21, were arrested by police for underage possession of alcohol. The trio from Brick, Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach were all taken to police headquarters for processing before being released. Each of the three will have to return for a court appearance.

Belmar
Police made a DWI arrest on Main St. in Belmar when they apparently spotted car being driven erratically. The 42-year-old driver, who reportedly resisted arrest, was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated assault and obstructing justice.

Wall
Route 35 has been the scene of more than a few DWI arrests. According to reports, an 18-year-old Wall Twp. Man was stopped by police near New Bedford Rd. and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. In another unrelated instance, a 26-year-old Seaside Heights resident was stopped by patrolmen near Church Road and arrested for intoxicated driving.

Around the same time, a 31-year-old Belmar man was arrested by police in the vicinity of 16th Ave. and Maplewood Rd. and subsequently charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana.
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November 28, 2010

NJ Police Blotter: Ocean County Drunk Driving, Underage Possession of Alcohol and CDS Arrests

by Jonathan F. Marshall

An out-of-state motorist was pulled over on West Bay Ave. in Barnegat Township when officers observed a vehicle being driven the wrong way. Stopping the vehicle, police interviewed the 48-year-old driver who apparently exhibited signs of being drunk and under the influence of alcohol. The man was arrested by officers, who charged him with a number of violations including DWI, reckless driving and traveling the wrong way on a one-way street.

Another Ocean County arrest occurred along Rte 72 when a patrolman stopped a man for speeding along a stretch of the road. According to police reports, the 23-year-old driver was allegedly found to have an open container of alcohol in his vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. As a result, police arrested the driver and charged him with DWI, having an open alcoholic beverage container in the vehicle, as well as reckless driving and speeding. The man was subsequently released.

A 55-year-old driver was stopped along a stretch of Barnegat Blvd. after police observed his vehicle traveling the wrong way on a one-way street. The South Plainfield resident was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, as well as reckless driving, driving the wrong way and having an open alcohol container in his vehicle. He was subsequently released from custody.