A 26-year-old resident of Egg Harbor Township, was arrested on Monday, July 6 on charges of allegedly driving under the influence. DUI is a motor vehicles offense similar to Driving While Intoxicated, except that under charges for Driving Under the Influence, a driver is accused of operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, rather than under the influence of alcohol. Although it is unclear from reports what drug he was accused of having been under the influence of at the time of the arrest, and how officers determined that the driver was allegedly under the influence, one thing is painfully clear: he will be up against some very harsh potential penalties as a result of this charge against him.
Egg Harbor Township NJ DWI Laws
Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, the same statute that prohibits driving while intoxicated after alcohol consumption, Rendon-Henao will be facing potential penalties that also apply to drivers accused of driving while under the influence of drugs. Under this statute, New Jersey law treats Driving Under the Influence of a controlled substance the same as DWI charges, and both are taken very seriously. Even if this is a first offense, penalties may include A driver’s license suspension of at least 3 months, over $700 in fines and fees, a $1,000 insurance surcharge each year for three years, and even 30 days of jail time. Additionally, if Rendon-Henao has any previous convictions for DWI or DUI on his record, penalties could escalate exponentially. For a second offense within 10 years of the first, penalties can include a driver’s license suspension of 2 years, an ignition interlock requirement during license suspension and for 1 to 3 years following restoration of a driver’s license, over $1,000 in fines and fees, a $1,000 insurance surcharge each year for three years, as well as 2 to 90 days of jail time. Furthermore, for a third offense, penalties can reach a staggering 10-year driver’s license suspension, a requirement to install an ignition interlock device during license suspension and for 1 to 3 years after restoration of the driver’s license, over $1,500 in fines and fees, a $1,500 insurance surcharge each year for three years, and 180 days (approximately 6 months) of jail time.
