New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
As is often the case here in the Garden State, when the police observe a motor vehicle being driven in an erratic or dangerous manner, it is incumbent on those officers to look into the situation. If a patrolman deems it necessary to pull a driver over due to a traffic violation or vehicle problem, then what happens during that traffic stop could result in a warning, traffic summons, or even an arrest. Quite frequently, absent any other serious violations of New Jersey criminal statutes, arrests of motorists generally fall under alleged intoxication by alcohol or impairment or through the use of prescription medications or illicit drugs.
While use or possession of illegal drugs (sometimes known as controlled dangerous substances, of CDSs) in a motor vehicle can lead to criminal charges as well, driving under the influence is nothing to sneeze at. Look at the news pages of any large metropolitan area and one can see the numerous arrests of drivers and other individuals for DWI and drug DUI. As New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyers, the members of my legal staff assists dozens us motorists every month who have been accused of impaired driving.
No matter the location, whether here in Monmouth County, up in Bergen or down in Atlantic County, there are a variety of police stops every day that involve some kind of chargeable offense. The following news items from Ocean Township, as a for instance, illustrate the range of arrests that take place daily; any one of these could happen in the dozens of towns or cities throughout New Jersey.
Forked River, NJ, Woman Charged with CDS Possession
Based on news articles, an Ocean Township police officer, along with his K-9 companion, arrested a 27-year-old female driver for pot possession following a motor vehicle stop along a stretch of Rte 9 in Ocean County. After observing what was likely a typical traffic infraction, the patrolman apparently found evidence of marijuana on the woman’s person and decided to make an arrest. Once delivered to police headquarters, the Forked River resident was charged with possession of less than 50g of weed, as well as possession of related paraphernalia. Because the driver also had a couple of outstanding warrants from another jurisdiction, she was later turned over to Absecon Twp. Police.
Waretown Man Charged with Drunken Driving
A routine motor vehicle stop turned into a DWI arrest after police officers pulled a car over along a portion of Seventh St. near Pocahontas Ave. The patrolman in conducting the police stop reportedly determined that the 61-year-old Waretown driver was allegedly impaired due to alcohol consumption. As a result of the traffic stop and subsequent investigation, police arrested the man at the scene for driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless operation of a motor vehicle. He was taken into custody and later processed following what apparently was a positive breath test. The driver was eventually released pending a hearing in municipal court.
Ocean Twp. Police Team with Barnegat Officers in Narcotics Bust
Police from the two municipalities reportedly conducted a joint narcotics investigation, which resulted in the taking of four people into custody on a number of CDS-related drug charges. According to news reports, a 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman from the Waretown area were arrested by police, in addition to a couple males, aged 38 and 23, from the Manahawkin, NJ, area. The 41-year-old female was accused of distributing heroin from her Sand Point Harbor home; she was charged with possession and distribution of a CDS, plus possession of drug paraphernalia. The other three were charged by police with possession of CDS and related paraphernalia. The group of four suspects were processed and later released pending a court hearing.
Intoxicated Barnegat Driver Arrested on Outstanding Warrant
News reports indicated that local police officers stopped a 52-year-old Barnegat resident after a concerned citizen called 911 to report an intoxicated individual in the Ocean Twp. area. Apparently, while doing a background check on the allegedly drunken man, police determined that the individual had an outstanding warrant from Ocean County. The bail associated with that warrant was reportedly in excess of $30,000. After being processed at the Ocean Twp. Police Headquarters on charges of public intoxication, local authorities turned the man over to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department.
Ocean Township Police Department arrests; APP.com; November 13, 2013