New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
If you have been charged with a DWI, you need to reach out to a skilled New Jersey DWI attorney without delay. In some cases, the basis for a DWI is a field sobriety test. These tests are notorious for being inaccurate, which is why we will meticulously examine what happened in your case to make sure none of your rights were violated. You can rest assured that we will put the full breadth of our legal experience to work for you.
While we often discuss drunk driving involving auto accidents, the reality is that it does not always consist of motor vehicles colliding with other motor vehicles on the road. Some accidents are the result of drunk drivers crashing into stationary objects, such as poles, medians, trees or even someone’s property. This recently happened in New Jersey. Last week, a Ridgewood woman allegedly drove into the wrong side of a carwash and crashed her vehicle, according to police. N.A. was found with an open bottle of wine in her purse at the time of the crash. Her car was stuck in the carwash for quite some time before it got removed and impounded. N.A. failed field sobriety tests and purportedly refused a Breathalyzer test. She was then charged with a DWI.
The basic offense of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in New Jersey involves getting behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. In addition, any drug that impairs a person’s ability to drive safely can also form the basis of a DWI.
In New Jersey, police may use Standardized Field Sobriety Tests in addition to Breathalyzer and blood tests to determine a person’s level of intoxication. The standard field sobriety tests administered by New Jersey police are:
- Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test: the officer will move a penlight around and ask you to follow it with your eyes.
- The Walk-and-Turn test: the officer will ask you to walk in a perfectly straight line, turn around, and walk along the same line in the opposite direction.
- One-Leg-Stand test: the officer will ask you to lift one leg off the ground and count numbers out loud.
Field sobriety tests used at the time of the traffic stop and their results are based on the opinion of the police officer administering them. Unlike breath tests, field sobriety tests are voluntary, which means you can refuse to take them and you will not face any additional charges or penalties.
Our attorneys will scrutinize the facts of your case and challenge the results of breath and field sobriety tests when they are questionable. We review the circumstances under which you were stopped to make sure you were lawfully pulled over, then scrutinize the testing procedures used and identify any and all factors that may invalidate the test results.
A DWI conviction comes with serious penalties. If you were arrested for a DWI in New Jersey, you need to turn to a skilled New Jersey DWI attorney who can help. With years of experience, you can trust that we know how to aggressively defend you against DWI charges. For a free consultation regarding your case, please do not hesitate to call us 877-450.8301 or contact us online.
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“If You Drive High, You Get a DUI” – New Jersey Adopts New Campaign
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