New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
Ever known someone who was arrested for driving while intoxicated? Yes, well join the club. No? Just give it a little time. Here in the Garden State, drunken driving seems to be a common activity, as is being arrested for same. One thing is certain; wait a few days and you’re bound to hear about yet another person charged with DWI, or driving while impaired by prescription drugs or illegal substances.
The list of possible charges is not particularly long, but the reasons why motorists get stopped for a seemingly insignificant moving violation or traffic infraction and then go on to be taken into custody by police — then charged with an alcohol or drug-related offense — are many and varied. As a former municipal prosecutor-turned-defense-attorney, I began this law firm to help fight for people who have been accused of DWI-DUI.
One only has to look at the news each day to see the numerous instances of New Jersey motorists being slapped with single and even multiple charges of driving while intoxicated, breath test refusal, impaired driving, possession of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia and other serious traffic-related offenses. The following are just a sampling of incidents that took place in Union County not too long ago:
Police Charge Motorist with Drunken Driving after Single-car Accident
A potentially fatal accident on New Providence Rd. in Watchung Township resulted in one man being receiving a summons for DWI after he apparently lost control of his vehicle and ended up driving into the Watchung creek. According to news articles, police arrested the 20-year-old Union County man early on a Tuesday morning on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
After coming upon the crash, officers reportedly discovered an empty container of alcohol in the driver’s vehicle. Patrolmen arrested the man, who works at a local fast food restaurant, and took him to police headquarters for a breath test and processing; however, the man allegedly refused to provide a breath sample. Eventually, he was charged with DWI, breath test refusal, underage drinking and careless driving. His car was impounded and he was later released to a family member pending a hear date.
Handful of Drivers Arrested at Westfield, NJ, Sobriety Checkpoint
The Saint Patrick’s Day weekend turned out not to be one of the happiest in memory for five unlucky motorists passing through the Westfield area in min-March. According to reports, a DWI roadblock was set up on South Ave. between Westfield and the Borough of Garwood, NJ, during the holiday weekend. Based on news items, two individuals were arrested and charged with drunken driving and three others were hit with summonses for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS).
The two DWI offenses went to a 49-year-old female from Roselle, NJ, and a 26-year-old local man. The drug-related charges were levied against a 42-year-old Piscataway man (also charged with driving without a license), a 19-year-old local woman and a 29-year-old man also from the Piscataway area.
Erratic Driving Lead to a Berkeley Heights DWI Arrest
After stopping a motor vehicle allegedly being driven in an erratic manner, Berkeley Heights police found the 44-year-old driver to apparently be intoxicated by liquor. The incident happened in the early morning hours on a Saturday as a ’00 Kia was being driven by a Newark man who reportedly could not maintain his lane sufficiently. Police pulled the car over and arrested the driver, charging him with DWI and careless driving. He was taken into custody and process at police headquarters before being released to a responsible adult and pending a hearing date in the Berkeley Heights Municipal Courthouse.
Garwood Traffic Stop Turns Into a Drunken Driving Arrest
A Middlesex County driver was stopped by patrolmen along a stretch of South Ave. in Garwood on a Wednesday evening around 7pm after observing a motor vehicle being operated in an erratic fashion. During the traffic stop, police officers apparently observed the 49-year-old motorist to be impaired by some kind of narcotic. The officers then took the driver into custody and charged him with drug DUI, as well as other traffic offenses. The man was eventually released pending his day in court.
Five Arrested at Westfield DWI Checkpoint Over Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend, TheAlternativePress.com, March 18, 2013
Erratic driving leads to DWI charges in Berkeley Heights, NJ.com, March 2, 2013
Parlin man, 49, charged with DWI following Garwood traffic stop; NJ.com; March 9, 2013
Union man charged with DWI after crashing car into a Watchung creek, police say; NJ.com; February 25, 2013