Jamal Hunt, 23, of Delran, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated as well as Driving Under the Influence of marijuana in Westampton late on the night of Friday, May 23. Hunt drew the attention of police officers after he sped past a police vehicle, driving over the speed limit. Authorities then stopped Hunt’s vehicle after allegedly witnessing him passing multiple other vehicles in a no passing zone, sideswiping the side mirror of one of those cars. It is not clear what basis authorities have for the allegations that Hunt was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the incident, or whether his blood alcohol content was measured at the time of his arrest.
Westampton DWI Charges
Under New Jersey law, Hunt could be facing serious penalties if he is convicted of or pleads guilty to either driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence. For DWI offenses, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 dictates potential minimum penalties including driver’s license suspension for a time period of at least a 3 months, over $700 in fines and fees, insurance surcharges of $1,000 per year for three years after conviction, and jail time of up to 30 days. If Hunt’s blood alcohol level was over .1 at the time of the incident, penalties increase to a driver’s license suspension of 7 months to 1 year, over $800 in fines and fees, a $1,000 insurance surcharge per year for three years, and potentially up to 30 days in prison, as well as a requirement to install an ignition interlock device during the suspension and for 6 months to 1 year afterwards.
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs in NJ
The charges for driving under the influence of marijuana, under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, could also include a driver’s license suspension of 7 months to one year, over $700 in fines and fees, a $1,000 insurance surcharge per year for three years, and potentially up to 30 days in prison. Any fines or penalties with be decided at the Westampton NJ Municipal Court.
If Hunt has any prior convictions for driving under the influence of either controlled substances or alcohol, these penalties could increase substantially, up to a driver’s license suspension of 10 years, an ignition interlock requirement during license suspension and for 1 to 3 years following license restoration, over $1,500 in fines and fees, a $1,500 insurance surcharge per year for three years, and 180 days in prison.
