DWI Attorney in Freehold, New Jersey
The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall is the largest criminal and DWI defense firm in Monmouth County and its main office also happens to be located in Freehold New Jersey. What is most important, however, are the qualifications that a lawyer at our law office can bring to the table if you were arrested or otherwise charged with a first offense, second offense, or third offense for DWI or DUI in Freehold. We will provide you with:
- Over 200 years of combined experience defending driving while intoxicated and under the influence of drugs (a.k.a. DUI), as well as breath test refusal cases, in Freehold Township Municipal Court and Freehold Borough Municipal Court
- A team of 15 attorneys that practice exclusive in the area of criminal and DWI defense
- Colin Bonus, the Head of our DWI Department, who is one of 4 lawyers in NJ whose practices are 100% dedicated to representing motorists charged with DWI and DUI
- 5 attorneys who are Alcotest Certified (i.e. have the same qualification to operate the breath test machine as the police)
- 4 lawyers who are Certified as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructors
- Former Municipal Prosecutors in Holmdel, Middletown, Howell, Hazlet, Colts Neck, Wall Township, Brielle, Manasquan and other local municipalities
Our Monmouth County DWI attorneys are certainly familiar with the municipal courts in both the township and borough in Freehold and have successfully represented clients charged with drinking and driving there for decades. If you were arrested in Freehold including DWI, DUI, or refusal, an experienced criminal defense lawyer at our firm will ensure that you have the best opportunity for an acquittal or dismissal prior to trial. A DWI lawyer will develop a comprehensive defense strategy based on the factual scenario of your drinking and driving charge. For a free consultation with an attorney at our Freehold DWI Defense Firm, call 732-462-1197.
Penalties If Convicted Of DWI in Freehold New Jersey
Almost immediately after someone is stopped and charged with DWI/DUI, their first two questions are what are the penalties I am facing and how to avoid a conviction. Individuals also want to know what their chances are of beating the drunk driving charge. In terms of penalties, your exposure to a license suspension, fines, jail and other penalties hinge on whether this is a first offense, second offense or you are facing a third of subsequent DUI charge. The headings below discuss the specific penalties that apply in each of these settings:
First Offense. If this is your first offense and your blood alcohol concentration (“BAC”) is between .08% and .099%, you will face a fine of $250-$400, incarceration at the Monmouth County Jail for up to 30 days, and a suspension of your license until you install an ignition interlock on your car, which must remain in place for at least 3 months.
If you are convicted for a first offense DWI in Freehold and have a BAC of at least .10% but less than .15%, the fine is $300-$500, the potential jail time is 30 days, and you must forfeit your driver’s license until the ignition interlock is installed and remains for 7 months to 1 year.
A Freehold first offense DWI with a BAC of .15% or more (or a first offense for driving under the influence of marijuana, prescription medication or other drugs) carries a mandatory license suspension of 4-6 months, an ignition interlock obligation of 9-15 months following restoration of your license, and you can be sentenced to up to 30 days in jail.
You will also pay a $1,000 per year surcharge for 3 consecutive years as a condition of restoration of your driver’s license, thousands of dollars in increased car insurance premiums, and have to complete 12-48 hours in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (“IDRC”). The truth is that you will face in excess of $10,000 in cumulative expenses (e.g. fines, court assessments, ignition interlock fees, surcharges and increased insurance rates) if you are convicted for a first offense.
Second Offense. The penalties that you face at a sentencing for a second offense for DWI or DUI in Freehold include a license suspension of 1-2 years, a fine of $500-$1,000, incarceration for 48 to 90 days, 30 days of community service, installation of an ignition interlock for the period of suspension and 2-4 years following restoration of your license, 48 hours in the IDRC, and a surcharge of $1,000 a year for 3 years.
Third Offense (or More). Penalties for a third or subsequent DWI offense are stiff with a fine of $1,000, a 180 day jail sentence, 8 year license suspension, 30 days of community service, a surcharge of $1,500 for 3 years, and installation of an ignition interlock for 2-4 years after your license is restored.
Refusing the Breath Test. The penalties for a first, second or third offense for breath test refusal largely mimic those for DWI or DUI except that there is no jail term for a third or subsequent offense for refusal under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4.
How Do I Beat a Freehold DWI & What Are My Chances of Success?
There are many issues that can successfully lead to a dismissal of a DWI in Freehold including lack of a reasonable suspicion of a motor vehicle violation to support a stop, lack of probable cause to arrest (e.g. you did fail the roadside sobriety tests), insufficient evidence of intoxication (e.g. failure to following protocol or malfunction of the breathalyzer), spoliation of evidence by the police (e.g. they last the audio or video evidence), or several other ways. You should also know that, while the public perception is often that once a summons or ticket for DWI is written the case is over, that is about as far from the truth as it gets. Our team of accomplished Freehold DWI defense lawyers wins far more cases than you might imagine and even has a success rate of 70-75% of suppressing (i.e. eliminating) breath test readings in driving while intoxicated cases under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50. To learn the particulars of how an attorney on our staff can help you, contact us anytime 24/7.
Freehold Township Municipal Court
The Municipal Courthouse of Freehold Township is located at One Municipal Plaza, Freehold (Twp), New Jersey 07728. The Municipal Court telephone number is (732) 294-2150. The Municipal Court Schedule is Tuesdays at 8 A.M., 1:30 P.M., and 5 P.M, and Wednesdays at 8 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. The number for the Freehold Township Police Department is (732) 462-7500. The municipal court judge is Thomas Foley and the municipal prosecutor is Nicole Sonnenblick. The court administrator is Jane Vitulli.
The area was first settled in 1685 by a group of Scottish reformers fleeing religious persecution. Freehold Township was formally established by an act of the Legislature on October 31, 1693, one of the three original townships in Monmouth County. Throughout the intervening three centuries it has been a place where people could raise their families, earn their living and live out their life in some measure of peace. Then as now, it has been a community of farms and churches, homes and neighborhoods. It has strong roots in a reach colonial tradition and an illustrious past. The Battle of Monmouth (probably the turning point of our War of Independence) was fought at its doorsteps on a scorching day in June 1778. Every major American military leader of the time participated: George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Benedict Arnold, Anthony Wayne, Charles Lee, Alexander Hamilton, Nathaniel Greene, Friedrich van Steuben and the non-military Molly Pitcher.
The website for the Township of Freehold, which includes municipal court information is http://www.twp.freehold.nj.us/.
Directions to the Freehold Township Municipal Court
From the North: Garden State Parkway South to exit 123 to Route 9 South; pass Freehold Raceway Mall on right; immediately following Burger King bear right onto Schanck Road. Municipal Complex is approximately one (1) mile down Schanck Road on your left before the traffic light.
From the South: Garden State Parkway North to exit 98 (Wall) to Route 195 West to Route 9 North. Take Route 9 North to Schanck Road jughandle (after Carvel and traffic light). Bear right after traffic light and cross over Route 9. Take Schanck Road down approximately one (1) mile and the Municipal Building is on your left before the traffic light.
Freehold Borough Municipal Court
The Municipal Courthouse for the Borough of Freehold is located at 38 Jackson Street, Freehold (Boro), New Jersey 07728. The Municipal court hours are on the first, second, and third Tuesdays of the month at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The judge in Freehold Boro is Scott Basen. The court administrator is Stacy A. Kitson. The prosecutor is Kathleen Sheedy. The police department is located at 36 Jackson Street and their telephone number is (732)462-1234.
Directions to the Freehold Boro Municipal Court
From the North: Take Route 18 South to 537 West via exit 22B toward Freehold. Turn left onto Jackson Street and end at #38.
From the South: Take the Garden State Parkway North to exit 98 toward Rt 34/Belmar/I-195W/Trenton. Take the exit on the left toward Rt 34/I-195. Merge onto 138 W toward Rt 34/Point Pleasant/I-195/Trenton. NJ-138 W becomes I-195 West. Merge onto US-9 North via exit 28 B toward Freehold. Turn right onto South Street/NJ-79. Turn right onto Mechanic Street. Turn left onto Jackson Street and end at #38.
DWI Lawyers in Freehold With The Skill You Need
There are few things that provide as potent a weapon for achieving the best outcome in your Freehold DWI case for experience and our team of Monmouth County criminal defense lawyers is second to none in this regard. We not only feature 5 attorneys at our law firm that are former DWI/DUI prosecutors, Alcotest Certified and Field Sobriety Testing Certified, but also have a member, Colin Bonus, is among only 4 lawyers in New Jersey that practices exclusively in this area of law. It also bears stating that we are the largest defense firm in the county, and possibly the state, and our main office is in the very town where you are facing a drinking and driving charge. There certainly isn’t another law office in NJ with cumulative qualifications for ensuring your success in defending a New Jersey DWI charge and an attorney is ready to talk to you 24/7 in more detail. To speak to an attorney with the know-how to help you, call 732-462-1197.
