A Team Of Former DWI Prosecutors With Over 200 Years Of Experience Defending Charges In Raritan Township, Clinton Township, Readington & Union Township
Well over five hundred (500) summonses for DWI are issued in Hunterdon County annually. The major players in the region are Clinton, Raritan Township, Readington and Union Township, all which typically process in excess of fifty (50) tickets from driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence and/or breath test refusal charges. If you were arrested for violating N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 anywhere in Hunterdon County, selecting an attorney who specializes in DWI defense is precisely what is needed in order to maximize your chances of averting a license suspension and other penalties.
The attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall have credentials in DWI and DUI defense that are truly unique. The members of our team include:
- Former DWI Prosecutors In Over 40 Municipalities
- Five (5) Who Are Alcotest Certified
- Two (2) Who Are Not Only Certified In Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (“SFST”) But Also As Instructors In SFSTs
- A DWI Department Head Who Is Among A Handful Of Litigators Who Limit Their Practice Exclusively To DWI/DUI
- Over 200 Years Of Combined Experience Defending Drug & Alcohol Charges Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50
Qualifications like those described are of paramount importance in your case since it is illegal to plea bargain a DWI charge. Your lawyer will have to formulate a defense that convinces the judge that the state cannot prove the charge. Patronage is not a factor since there is no ability to downgrade or dismiss a DUI absent a bona fide impediment to the police officer proving the ticket/summonses. There is no substitute for exceptional training and experience when it comes to making such a presentation and that is exactly what is possessed by the litigators at our firm.
If you would like to speak to an attorney at the firm in a free initial consultation, call our Flemington Office at (908) 824-0855 or Somerville Office at (908) 206-4238.
The DWI attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall defend 39:4-50 charges throughout Hunterdon County including clients charged in Flemington, Readington, Bethlehem Township, Raritan Township, Clinton Township, Union Township, East Amwell, Lambertville and Tewksbury New Jersey.
Hunterdon County DWI Charges
Whether your charge is based on alcohol or a drug such as marijuana, Ambien, cocaine, heroin, Oxycodone/Oxycontin or Xanax, the statute that will dictate your guilt or innocence is N.J.S.A. 39:4-50. A violation of this law occurs if an individual operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs or with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or more.
Scientific Methods for Proving Intoxication: Breath & Blood Test. Proving an alcohol based DWI is accomplished in one of two ways. The first and most common way a prosecutor in Readington, East Amwell, Lambertville or another town proves intoxication is through scientific tests. There are two scientific methods used in this regard, namely, a breath test or blood test. The former method is far more common and is encountered in almost all cases. Five (5) of the attorneys on our staff have undergone training and certification from Draeger Laboratories, the manufacturer of the Alcotest 7110, the device currently used to measure blood alcohol concentration by breath. Very few practitioners possess this training, certainly less than 100 in the state despite it being such a powerful tool in defending DWI charges in Hunterdon County and elsewhere. The training is, in fact, far more extensive than what police officers receive at the academy. This allows us to effectively dismantle a DWI case, including persuasively cross examining a police officer about his breath test evidence.
The second scientific method for proving intoxication is blood. This is also an area that our defense lawyers have extensive experience in. We actually believe that we are as effective in suppressing BAC readings by blood as we are with the breathalyzer. Our team uniformly objects to laboratory reports thereby forcing the prosecutor to produce the laboratory scientist in order to prove the reading. This is frequently a difficult hurdle for the state to clear as these scientific experts are prone to ignore or avoid subpoenas to testify. There are clearly several other bases that our lawyers utilize to avoid admission of blood tests into evidence.
Field Sobriety Testing To Prove Intoxication. When an attorney is successful in suppressing the state’s ability to utilize a breath or blood test in a DWI case, something that is very common when we represent a motorist, the state can nevertheless prove intoxication through psycho-physical tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has outlined standardized field sobriety tests (“SFST”) that are recognized measures for determining whether someone is impaired. Fortunately for us, most police officers have undergone no more than one day of training in these tests at the police academy. Conversely, several members of our team have not only undergone far more extensive training in SFST administration and scoring than most police, but have also acquired status of instructors in these tests. This allows us to dissect reports and testimony of the police in Readington, Clinton, Raritan, Union Township, Flemington and elsewhere in the county so that our clients can avoid a conviction for DWI based on the results of field tests
It is important that you recognize the importance of advanced training and exceptional experience when it comes to successfully defending a charge for driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of drugs. As previously stated, there is no ability to utilize plea bargaining to avoid a conviction so your attorney will have to convince the court that there is a genuine issue that raises reasonable doubt concerning the 39:4-50 offense. Specialization in DWI and DUI defense, along with advanced training in this area of law and a commitment to fight until the very best outcome is achieved, translates into a much higher probability of overcoming this hurdle. This is exactly what the attorneys at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can provide. This is extremely important given the penalties that you will face in the event of conviction, including:
| Penalty | First Offense | Second Offense | Third Offense |
| Fines & Other Monetary Penalties | $250-$500 VCCB $50 DDEF $100 SNSF $75 Surcharge $100 | $500-$1,000 VCCB $50 DDEF $100 SNSF $75 Surcharge $100 | $1,000 VCCB $50 DDEF $100 SNSF $75 Surcharge $100 |
| License Suspension | 3 Months (BAC of .08 but less than .10%) 7 Months (BAC of .10% or above) | 2 Years | 10 Years |
| Jail Term | Up to 30 Days | 2-90 Days | 180 Days With The Ability To Serve 90 In An In-patient Rehab |
| Other Penalties | $1,000 Surcharge for 3 Years 12 Hours IDRC Mandatory Ignition Interlock if BAC .15% or above o/w discretionary No Community Service | Same 48 Hours IDRC Mandatory Ignition Interlock 30 Days Community Service | $1,500 Surcharge for 3 Years ————— Mandatory Ignition Interlock No Community Service |
We cannot emphasize anymore as to the importance of retaining an attorney who specializes in DWI defense. Just like other professions, those who concentrate in a single area tend to be more effective in that craft. The same holds true when it comes to defending driving under the influence of drugs (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, heroin, Ambien, oxycodone, Xanax, etc.) and driving while intoxicated. This is precisely why it is in your best interests to speak to the lawyers at our firm.
Accomplished Attorneys To Defend Your DWI Charge In Readington, Raritan Township, Flemington, Clinton & Elsewhere in Hunterdon County
Although Hunterdon County is far from the busiest county in the state for DWI charges, there are many individuals arrested for violating 39:4-50 every year. The team at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are veteran litigators who have the know-how to effectively represent you anywhere in the jurisdiction, including in the following municipalities:
- Raritan Township DWI Lawyer
- Readington NJ DWI Attorney
- Clinton DWI Defense Lawyers
- Flemington NJ DWI Attorneys
- Union Township DWI Attorney
- Bethlehem New Jersey DWI Defense Lawyer
- East Amwell DWI Lawyers
- Lambertville NJ DWI Attorney
- West Amwell DWI Defense Attorneys
If you were arrested for DWI or DUI in these or any other town in the Hunterdon County, an attorney at our firm is prepared to analyze your case and formulate a plan to help you avoid a conviction. This may involve challenging the basis for the motor vehicle stop, operation of the vehicle (e.g. you were not driving and/or had no intention to drive the car), the facts and testing utilized to arrest you, the protocol and scientific testing used to establish intoxication (e.g. breath test) or the presence of drugs in your blood (i.e. blood test), or any other issue in your DWI case.
To speak to an attorney in a free initial consultation anytime 24/7, contact our Flemington Office today at 908-824-0855.
