New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
If you are facing driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges in New Jersey, you are at risk of losing your driver’s license, paying hefty fines and even going to jail. The stakes are too high and a DWI conviction can negatively impact virtually every aspect of your life. If you or someone close to you has been charged with a DWI, you need to consult our aggressive and knowledgeable New Jersey DWI attorneys as soon as possible.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with other organizations, recently announced a national campaign to raise awareness about marijuana-impaired driving. The campaign’s motto, “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different,” hopes to encourage drivers to recognize that they should not drive under the influence of marijuana. NHTSA’s newest national roadside evaluation highlights that from the years of 2007-2013, there was an almost 50 percent spike in weekend nighttime drivers who tested positive for some type of marijuana. Part of the campaign’s purpose is to emphasize that while it may be legal to use marijuana in your state, it is still illegal to get behind the wheel under the influence of the drug.
In New Jersey, it is against the law to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of any drug that hinders your ability to drive in a safe manner. In fact, you can still be charged with a drug DWI even if you had a valid prescription so long as the prosecutor can show that the drug impaired your ability to operate a motor vehicle. This law does not specify a certain amount of drugs that must be in your system and, unlike alcohol content, which can easily be measured by a breath test, there is no standard test to figure out if you are under the influence of drugs. Rather, you can be charged with a drug DWI if you seem impaired by drugs to the arresting officer.
In some cases, police officers are overzealous in charging individuals with a DWI. As such, you should never assume that being charged means you are guilty. Police officers are required to follow certain procedures and protocol when it comes to pulling over, arresting and charging someone with a DWI. We will examine the circumstances surrounding each of these steps to make sure that none of your rights were violated. For example, we will make sure that any field sobriety tests or drug tests that were administered were done so properly. And, if we discover any shortcomings in either the test results or the police officer’s conduct, we will move to make that evidence inadmissible in an effort to have the charges against you reduced or dropped altogether.
DWI charges are serious and should never be taken lightly. If you have been arrested or charged with a drug DWI, please do not delay in contacting our seasoned New Jersey DWI attorneys. Our team is well versed in virtually every aspect of New Jersey DWI law and we’ll use our knowledge to build the strongest possible defense in your case. To arrange a free consultation with a member of our legal team, please call us at 877-450-8301 or contact us online.