Union County DWI Defense

February 10, 2013

Union County DWI Police Blotter: Cranford and Clark Officers Make Multiple Drunken Driving, CDS Arrests

For those who have never been stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation, it may be hard to imagine what it feels like not only to be stopped for a moving violation, but to be asked to perform a field sobriety test because that patrolman believes that you have been drinking. Forget embarrassment; most people have no idea how nerve-racking and confidence shaking a drunken driving arrest can truly be.

As experienced New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, my firm is dedicated to helping those individuals who believe they have either been falsely accused of drunk driving or drug DUI (prescription medication or illegal substances), or who feel that they have a legitimate case for a reduced charge based on the way in which the traffic stop and DWI/DUI arrest was handled by the police officer in charge. My legal staff is ready to fight for our clients’ rights.

Every day, from news agencies all around the Garden State you can find examples of traffic stops that ended in an arrest for driving under the influence. The following news items out of Union County, NJ, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the shear range of DWI and DUI arrest scenarios.
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January 26, 2013

Jersey Residents Arrested for Drunk Driving, DUI and Marijuana Possession in Morris and Union Counties

by Jonathan F. Marshall

For anyone who has never been charged with drunk driving there are many aspects of a DWI arrest that can be surprising and even shocking for “first-timers.” As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues understand the fear and concern that goes along with a first-time DWI or drug DUI arrest. In fact, even before a driver is pulled over for a traffic violation, it is very possible that the officer in charge was already making mental notes about a motorist’s driving behavior.

This is important to realize, since some individuals who are accused of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor may not consider all the possible evidence they may be faced with during their drunken driving hearing. Getting together with a qualified DWI defense attorney is critical when attempting to assess one’s options going into a DWI or drug DUI trial.

Not only will an officer be asked by the prosecuting attorney regarding a driver’s vehicle operation before the traffic stop, but any information that a motorist offers up or provides during a roadside interview will likely be used as evidence when pursuing a guilty verdict in the courtroom. What many drivers don’t realize is even those “minor” or inconsequential comments that one makes during a police stop can be used by the prosecution to make its case against a defendant.
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November 23, 2012

Union and Ocean County Police Blotters: Drunk Driving Arrests for Many New Jersey Motorists

by Jonathan F. Marshall

It’s happened to more than one New Jersey driver in the past week: cruising down the road after a luncheon with business associates, coming home from a good friend’s bachelor party, or even going to the supermarket to pick up some groceries. These all sound normal enough, and they are, but for one added element: being stopped by a police officer for some minor traffic infraction. Whether it was a turn without signaling, a rolling stop in a quiet neighborhood or maybe just a burned-out taillamp, either way, one could be looking at a pricey ticket for one or more traffic violations, unless….

Unless the driver in question appears to the patrolman to exhibit some of the “typical” signs of being drunk behind the wheel. If a driver has had a drink or two previous to the traffic stop, then that individual could have trouble down the road, since many police officers are extremely suspicious of driver who exhibit signs of being intoxicated. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my legal staff are committed to representing individuals who have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs and even controlled dangerous substances (CDSs), also known as drug DUI.

We’ll say right now that if you or anyone you know ever thinks you may have had too much to drink, save yourself the trouble of possibly being stopped on the road by a New Jersey state patrol officer or a municipal officer and risk being charged with DWI or DUI.

Recently, we saw a number of DWI and related arrested mentioned in several so-called police blotter columns in the news. These incidents, which occurred in Ocean and Union counties, provided a smattering of the typical kinds of drunken driving arrests that happen on a daily basis all across the state. As drunken driving attorneys, we know how easily a motorist can be tagged by a police officer for what may seem like a minor infraction only to be slapped with a drunk driving charge, maybe even more. Consider the following as object lessons in what not to do, and what to expect should you decide to take a chance with the law.
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July 26, 2012

Union and Bergen County Police Blotters: DWI, DUI Arrests and Drunk Driving-related Accidents

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Here in the Garden State, we have the most densely populated areas in the entire country. As such, it can be expected that the frequency of criminal and civil offenses will be that much more concentrated. Whether one believes that drunken driving continues to be a problem in counties such as Ocean, Sussex, Bergen and Hudson, local and state law enforcement authorities are on a more or less constant alert to motorists who are possibly operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.

Impaired driving can encompass a range of activities, from driving while intoxicated by alcohol (such as beer, wine or hard liquor), operating a car or truck while impaired by a doctor-prescribed medication or pain killer, such as valium or oxycontin, or even an illicit drug like cocaine or marijuana. While alcohol and prescription medications are not illegal per se, their effect on a driver’s ability to control his or her vehicle can result in a chargeable offense. But, unlike these former two, illegal drugs (also known as controlled dangerous substances [CDS]) bring with them not only the potential for a traffic-related offense, but also the possibility of criminal charges as well.

The following news items are just a brief example of the types of arrest that take place every day in this state. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my firm is committed to representing those individuals who believe themselves to have been falsely accused of drunk driving or drug DUI.
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July 5, 2012

DWI Police Blotter: Union County Patrolmen Arrest Drivers for DWI and Marijuana Possession

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Whatever the situation; be it a routine traffic stop that results in a DWI arrest, a drunken driving summons received at a sobriety checkpoint, or a breath test refusal charge following a drunk driving stop in the city, there is no reason whatsoever for not consulting a qualified New Jersey DWI defense attorney. The fact is, the state has law enforcement to arrest motorists and prosecutors to prove guilt. At the very least, drivers who are accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs should take advantage of the experience of a DWI lawyer who knows the law.

Here in the Garden State, I and my staff of knowledgeable attorneys understand how a conviction for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated can affect a person’s life going forward. Not only are there stiff monetary penalties, but also jail time for some offenders, as well as other consequences such as loss of driving privileges. The following items pulled from local news briefs show the many and varied situations that can lead to a DWI arrest.

Cranford Police Arrests
Officers pulled a Cadillac over along a stretch of South Ave. near Meeker following an illegal passing maneuver. During the roadside traffic stop, patrolmen apparently found evidence of weed on the driver’s person. The 21-year-old Orange County resident was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana (less than 50g) as well as possession CDS (controlled dangerous substance) paraphernalia and improper passing. The suspect was subsequently released pending an appearance in municipal court.
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June 12, 2012

Injury Accidents Only Serve to Compound Charges of Drunken Driving in New Jersey

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Causing significant personal injury or property damage as the result of a car or truck accident can sometimes result in negative ramifications (criminally and/or from a civil standpoint) for the negligent party. This is almost a given in any municipality around the Garden State. And, while causing an accident through simple negligence is one thing, being the defendant in a DWI-related legal case involving bodily injury to another person or physical damage to another individual’s property can be an entirely different thing altogether.

As New Jersey DWI lawyers, my firm is well positioned to represent motorists who have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol (such as beer or wine) or doctor-prescribed drugs; or even illicit substances like marijuana and cocaine. Most people do not understand that a police officer cannot pull a vehicle over based only on a hunch that the driver has been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel. What usually happens first is the officer may notice a minor driving infraction, which then attracts his or her attention to the subject vehicle.

Of course, while observing a car or truck making an improper turn or running a stoplight can be a clear sign that something is amiss with the driver, coming upon a traffic accident is usually an obvious indication that at least one of the drivers involved made some serious error in judgment or executed a maneuver after a poor driving decision. Whatever the reason, once a driver is on the roadside — having allegedly caused a traffic accident — the officer in charge will most likely be keenly aware of everything being done or said at the scene of the accident.
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March 11, 2012

Westfield, NJ, Drunken Driving News: Two New Jersey Drivers Charged in Fatal Union County DWI Crash

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Whether one drives in Middlesex, Atlantic, Monmouth or Essex County, if you cause an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs (drug DUI) there is always a chance that you will be found guilty of intoxicated driving by a court. Raise the stakes by causing a fatal drunken driving-related traffic wreck and the consequences can be much worse.

As a former municipal prosecutor, I understand the strategies and legal approach that the state uses to convict a motorist charged with drunk driving or drug DWI. I and my staff of experienced New Jersey drunken driving defense attorneys know the procedures and techniques that the prosecution may use against a DWI defendant. An already critical situation is made that much worse when a driver is accused of drunk driving as it applied to a traffic accident involving injury or death.

It is for these reasons alone that one typically needs the counsel, if not the representation, of a qualified DWI/DUI lawyer. This is because, here in the Garden State, law enforcement and the courts have become rather strict regarding any traffic-related offenses involving the consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor, as well as doctor-prescribed medication or illicit drugs such as marijuana or cocaine.
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February 26, 2012

New Jersey Police Blotter: Drunk Driving and Drug DUI Arrests in Ocean and Union Counties

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Any driver who lives or works in the Garden State may already know that arrests for drunken driving occur quite often all around the state. Although being pulled over for a traffic violation does not automatically mean that a driver will be charged with driving under the influence, there are numerous opportunities for motorists to be stopped and potentially charged with a DWI.

Much of this has to do with the circumstances and whether the arresting officer is convinced that an individual is impaired at the time of the traffic stop. Not all DWI and DUI arrests result in conviction; however, as New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my staff of experienced DWI attorneys know full well that having any amount of alcohol or drugs in one’s bloodstream at the time of a traffic stop can result in charges being pressed.

Sometimes getting a summons for DWI — or breath test refusal, if one chooses to decline taking a breathalyzer test — is just a matter of timing. Be advised that feeling you are in the right does not change the way a police officer views the situation on the roadside. As we always suggest to friends and associates, it’s better to err on the side of caution and get a sober ride home than to take one’s chances with the local police and possibly be charged with impaired driving due to alcohol or prescription drug use (drug DUI).
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February 5, 2012

Union County Police Blotter: Cranford, NJ, Police Arrests include DWI, Drug DUI and Underage Drinking

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Regardless of which county one drives in — Passaic, Middlesex, Union or Mercer — a drunk driving arrest is only an errant lane change away, or for that matter a burned-out headlamp or rolling stop. The fact of the matter is, here in the Garden State, driving with even a couple drinks under one’s belt can quickly become a trip to police headquarters for a breathalyzer test and possible booking on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Naturally, drunken driving is one of the many traffic offenses out there, but impaired driving due to prescription medications or illicit drugs (drug DUI) are other ways in which a driver can find him or herself in trouble with the law. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, I and my colleagues have represented numerous motorists charged with driving under the influence of beer, wine or hard liquor.

As experienced drunken driving defense attorneys, my firm handles numerous drunken driving and drug DUI cases, as well as breath test refusal and underage drinking offenses. No matter where one lives or works in New Jersey, being arrested for DWI or DUI can be a serious matter and not to be taken lightly. The following police blotter items illustrate some of the typical drunk driving-related and other police arrests that occur on a regular basis throughout the state.
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November 23, 2011

Monmouth County DWI Update: Thanksgiving Holiday Sees Rise in Drunken Driving Arrests for New Jersey Motorists

by Jonathan F. Marshall

While the warm weather months are definitely behind us, New Jersey State Police and local law enforcement agencies note that parties and friendly get-togethers during the holidays also bring out the drinker in many drivers. As nearly anyone who drives in the Garden State understands, drunken driving enforcement never really lets up, especially during the peak holiday season.

As DWI defense lawyers serving residents of Bergen, Middlesex, Atlantic and other counties across the state, we are well versed in the tactics and strategies used by state and municipal police officers to secure the arrest of suspected drunk drivers. In fact, anyone who knowingly operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or, for that matter, prescription medication, should realize that the odds of being arrested for DWI or drug DUI can be quite high.

If a police officer witnesses a traffic violation, he or she will usually make a routine traffic stop based on that initial offense, minor as it may seem to the average driver. Once stopped, a motorist will be closely observed for signs of impairment, usually due to consumption of beer, wine or hard liquor. If the patrolman has a reasonable suspicion that the driver of a car, truck or motorcycle is inebriated an arrest is more or less forthcoming.
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