Every day of every week, all across New Jersey, state police and local law enforcement officers make multiple arrests of drivers whom they suspect of being intoxicated by alcohol, doctor-prescribed medication (drug DUI), and sometimes even illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana and meth. While many of these individuals may have had a drink prior to getting behind the wheel, not all of them were necessarily legally drunk at the time of the traffic stop.
As Garden State DWI defense lawyers, I and my staff of legal professionals have decades of collective experience representing people charged with drunken driving in counties such as Ocean, Sussex, Union and Passaic. A percentage of these individuals who have been charged with DWI, drug DUI, refusal to take a breathalyzer test, and other traffic-related infractions, may actually be found guilty. Others may not.
One thing is certain: Here in New Jersey, fines and penalties for drunken driving can be harsh and highly punitive. Some of the most costly aspects of a drunken driving conviction is the potential increase of a driver’s auto insurance premium; this can equal thousands of dollars a year on top of an individuals “normal” insurance costs.