New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog

October 30, 2013

Ocean County Drunk Driving Police Blotter: Manchester, Stafford, Lacey and Toms River DWI Arrests

As drunk driving defense attorneys, my legal staff handles a wide range of alcohol- and drug-related cases every year. The defendants in those DWI-related cases have usually been arrested following a roadside police stop arising typically from a rudimentary traffic-related offense. Other accused drunken drivers may have been taken into custody following a traffic accident or an encounter with police at one of the many sobriety checkpoints erected monthly around the state.

Whatever the situation, those individuals who have been detained or arrested and subsequently charged with a DWI, drug DUI, breathalyzer refusal, or other related offense can often find themselves going before a judge who will hear their case. A number of the dozens upon dozens of drinking and driving cases heard every month across the Garden State started off as arrests listed in the police blotter pages of local and state newspapers and news-related websites.

Every week, for those who may be curious, the police blotter section of various news outlets pages enumerate a variety of scenarios in which average drivers have found themselves arrested and charged with an alcohol- or prescription drug-related DWI or DUI offense. Whether the arrest happens in Middlesex, Hudson, Monmouth or Bergen County, as professional DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I have participated in our share of hearings, from car or truck collisions caused by allegedly intoxicated drivers to those motorists accused of possessing a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) in a motor vehicle.
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October 28, 2013

Ocean County DWI News: Underage Drunk Driver Crashes Car after Fleeing Police in Toms River

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Occasionally we run into news reports that illustrate many of the wrong things to do when trying to avoid DWI or DUI charges. Although the vast majority of New Jersey motorists arrested for drunken driving hardly expected that they would find themselves sitting at police headquarters and taking a breathalyzer test, a much smaller percentage of drivers could be said to be prone to being charged with drinking and driving. Still others may simply be unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As New Jersey DWI lawyers, we know that a fair number of people charged with drunk driving are actually first-time offenders who might otherwise, under any other circumstances, be considered law-abiding citizens. Of that group, there is likely a percentage who believe they did not deserve to be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs (drug DUI). It should be added that, in our experience, there are numerous individuals who may not have been legally drink at the time of their arrest, but who still were charged erroneously by the police.

From our perspective, everyone who is accused of a crime should avail himself of the legal expertise of a qualified New Jersey trial lawyer. As the law provides, everyone does deserve to have their case heard in a court of law. A news story we ran across from a couple months back could likely be termed a playbook on what not to do after having a few drinks. While we prefer not to make any judgments ourselves, suffice it to say that it is not advisable to A) run from the police when one is B) underage and potentially intoxicated behind the wheel.
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October 26, 2013

Breath Test Refusal Can Still Cost Garden State Motorists Dearly

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being charged with DWI is not a something that any driver welcomes, but occasionally a motorist faced with the possibility of a drunken driving summons will choose to decline the usual police request for a breath sample. To many people, given the option of providing or not providing a law enforcement officer with a breathalyzer sample seems like a no-brainer.

Some drivers may think, “Why provide the cops with any evidence that could be possibly be held against me later in court? If they give me the option, of course I’ll opt to refuse.” But is this the best choice? Many times the consequences of withholding a breath sample can be just as costly as being charged with a DWI due to a blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading over 0.08 percent.

As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, my staff and I have represented hundreds of individuals in court, many of who have been accused of driving while intoxicated by alcohol, impaired driving while under the influence of doctor-prescribed drugs, or the aforementioned breath test refusal.
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October 25, 2013

Arrest for Marijuana Possession in a Motor Vehicle Can be Cause for Concern

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Concern about one’s future can be a nagging thing especially when that future hangs on a courtroom hearing for marijuana possession in a car, or a cannabis-related drug DUI arrest. Not only is marijuana one of the most common drugs encountered by police in the New Jersey area, but arrests involving marijuana, hash, weed or pot are certainly as frequent, if not more so, as those for other controlled dangerous substances (CDSs) such as cocaine and narcotic-based pharmaceuticals.

When one realizes that an estimated $30-plus billion of pot is grown in all across the United States annually, it shouldn’t be too surprising that marijuana-related motor vehicle arrests occur quite frequently. In fact, the attorneys at my law firm have more than 40 years of experience defending drivers and other individuals against marijuana-related offenses throughout New Jersey. For myself, as a former municipal prosecutor and now a DUI-DWI and criminal defense attorney, I have been involved in literally hundreds of cases during my career.

As DWI and drug DUI defense lawyers, my legal staff is familiar With drunk driving, alcohol and drug possession cases held in both municipal and county courts throughout the state. Whether a charge is cannabis-related charges. Whether you have been charged with marijuana possession in a vehicle, drunk driving or breath test refusal, the attorneys at my firm have the expertise to defend clients against marijuana, CDS and alcohol-related charges.
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October 24, 2013

Clifton, NJ, Driver Charged with Vehicular Homicide While Under the Influence

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Being charged with drunken driving for the very first time is something most people never forget. Not only can such an event be personally and professionally embarrassing, but the costs associated with a conviction add up to thousands of dollars. It’s a fair bet to say that the majority of motorists who are found guilty and saddled with stiff fines and other penalties will try not to make the same mistake twice. Although it may not seem like a hard decision, the mistake that some people make following a DWI arrest is not talking with a qualified drunk driving defense attorney.

But as long-time DWI and drug DUI defense lawyers, my staff has seen frequent situations where individuals accused of drunken driving should have made the decision to retain an experienced attorney, but for one reason or another chose not to. Considering the potential fines, fees, assessments and other penalties, such as jail time, there is no logical reason why an accused drunk driver should not, at the very least, avail himself of a free consultation from a skilled attorney.

Naturally, there are circumstances where a drunken driving defendant will truly feel the need for professional representation in a court of law. Where jail time and harsher penalties are threatened, an accused motorist would only do himself a disservice to eschew a lawyer in favor of going it alone against a prosecuting attorney. The results of such ventures are rarely positive for the defendant.
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October 22, 2013

Garden State DWI Defense Update: Driving Drunk in New Jersey is a Bad Bet

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Driving drunk in Monmouth, Union, Bergen or Atlantic County is greatly discouraged by more than just a few safety advocates and law enforcement agencies. But besides the obvious downside of being impaired when piloting a 3,500-pound motor vehicle at parkway speeds, there are the legal and financial implications to consider should one be accused of doing so by the police. As New Jersey DWI defense attorneys, my firm has a good idea of the odds that a driver who has had a couple drinks might end up being pulled over and arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Is it worth the gamble? We’d say not, especially considering all of the opportunities these days that police have to catch an unsuspecting motorist who may or may not have had too much alcohol, or possibly be impaired by prescription drugs. While some people know that a cop can’t stop a vehicle simply on the hunch that the driver is inebriated, there are many ways in which a municipal patrolman or state trooper can legitimately stop a motorist on the road for a traffic infraction; after which the really serious problems can begin if alcohol or drug use is suspected by the officer.

Being pulled over by a police officer can begin in any number of ways, but only a few of them would be considered very serious in the minds of most motorists. As such, it is easy to imagine that even the most innocuous driving error or vehicle infraction could possibly land a person in police headquarters with a possible alcohol or drug-related impaired driving charge hanging over his or her head. As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I are more than aware of the manner in which many drivers find themselves answering a summons for driving while intoxicated in the Garden State.
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October 20, 2013

New Jersey DWI Update: Judging the Validity of Police Stops that Lead to DWI Charges

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As most anyone who has previously been charged with DUI must surely understand, the order of events preceding a DWI arrest is important when considering the approach to one’s defense. In addition to this, the basis for the initial traffic stop that led to the drunken driving charges is also critical to both the defense’s arguments, as well as that of the prosecution.

In the end, regardless of whether the ultimate offense is listed as driving under the influence of alcohol, impaired by prescription drugs, or possession of a CDS (controlled dangerous substance), the initial traffic stop must have been carried out properly and with a legitimate suspicion that a violation of traffic law had occurred.

As New Jersey DWI and drug DUI defense attorneys, our firm is dedicated to assisting individuals who have been accused of driving while intoxicated, as well as other civil and criminal offenses. Our legal staff understands the extreme importance of determining whether a DWI summons was issued based on a valid traffic stop or not.
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October 18, 2013

Salem County Police Blotter: Multiple Arrests for DWI and Drug Possession in a Vehicle

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Living and working here in the Garden State, one finds that police activity on our highways and byways is certainly not hidden from everyday commuters. Whether driving through Mercer, Union, Somerset or Monmouth County, motorists are witness to routine traffic stops nearly every day on the parkway or interstates, city streets and rural routes. Of those frequent roadside occurrences, drunk driving arrests are hardly uncommon, especially during the holidays and warmer months.

As New Jersey DWI-DUI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I have for years provided our services to motorists who have been accused of driving while intoxicated. Whether coming from a company social function, family picnic or other friendly gathering, if alcohol was consumed — even in small quantities — there exists the opportunity for a DWI arrest. Frankly, being pulled over for driving under the influence of alcohol in Jersey is almost a regular occurrence in some parts of the state.

In any case, a wide range of alcohol- and drug-related police arrests can be read about in almost any newspaper or online news site. As professional legal experts, my staff have seen their fair share of courtroom scenarios play out over the years. From DWI-related auto accidents and underage drunk driving, to arrests involving CDS (controlled dangerous substance) possession in a motor vehicle or drug DUI, my firm has the legal background and the trial experience to represent clients who wish to fight for their rights under the law.
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October 17, 2013

NJ DWI Update: Immigrants Legal and Illegal can Face Backlash following DWI-related Traffic Accidents

by Jonathan F. Marshall

With all of the focus on illegal immigration over the past decade or so, it is should not be a surprise that part of this debate regarding undocumented aliens leads to discussions of deportation for various crimes committed by individuals who have entered the country under questionable circumstances. While there are various points of view regarding the benefit to this country as a nation built by immigrants, the argument that those who flout our laws blatantly and with criminal intent is a strong one.

As New Jersey DWI defense lawyers, my colleagues and I are dedicated to helping those individuals who have been accused of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs and other controlled dangerous substances (CDSs). My staff has a great deal of experience in trial law, which includes both civil and criminal litigation.

Being charged with a drunken driving offense is serious, not to mention embarrassing and potentially detrimental to one’s personal, professional and public life. There is really no good reason why anyone should walk into a courtroom unprepared to fight for one’s legal rights following a DWI or drug DUI arrest. While there is never any guarantee of a not guilty verdict or dismissal of charges, having a qualified drunk driving attorney by one’s side is a smart choice.
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October 16, 2013

The Typical New Jersey DWI Stop is Hardly Typical when You’re the One Being Arrested

by Jonathan F. Marshall

The skilled attorneys at the Law Office of Jonathan F. Marshall have successfully defended motorists arrested for and charged with drunk driving, drug DUI, breath test refusal and other alcohol and prescription drug-related offenses in Monmouth, Sussex, Middlesex and Union counties. Our commitment to our clients is demonstrated by the aggressive and vigorous defense; and our legal staff is knowledgeable in all aspects of New Jersey DWI law, criminal statutes and offenses involving drug DUI and possession in a motor vehicle.

As Garden State DWI-DUI defense lawyers, we understand how frightening a drunk driving arrest can be to the average person; if only because most drivers who are charged with a first-time offense for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol are likely law-abiding individuals with families and good standing in their community.

Unfortunately, law enforcement personnel are usually more interested in whether a crime or civil offense has been committed and less about the background of the alleged offender; that is something for a judge to consider when the case comes to trial. As attorneys, we endeavor to pursue the facts and present our client’s case in the best possible light, while working to call into question the prosecution’s arguments and evidence that is being used against the defendant.
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