9 Towns in Burlington County Join DWI Blitz With Overtime Grants
August 16, 2019
DWI Checkpoint Lawyers
While almost 100 different police departments throughout the State of New Jersey will begin using Grant Monies to crackdown on Driving While Intoxicated violations, Burlington County makes a large percentage of participating agencies. Specifically, police departments in Evesham, Bordentown, Cinnaminson, Delran, Medford, Mount Laurel, New Hanover, Palmyra and Riverside will all receive $5,500 in overtime grant money from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety for the purpose of DWI monitoring and checkpoints. This program runs from now until Labor Day Weekend. That means each and every driver needs to be particularly careful and cautious in any decisions they make driving late at night. If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or driving under the influence of marijuana, you could be subject to mandatory license suspension, thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges, installation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle and possible incarceration in the Burlington County Jail!
What is a DWI Blitz?
Essentially, a “DWI Blitz” is an initiative by the local, county or state entity to focus their patrols and searches for violations of New Jersey Driving While Intoxicated statute N.J.S.A. 39:4-50. This is not to say that police departments are not always seeking out these types of violations. Rather, as is the case here, the State is providing financial support to pay these police officers more money to work overtime hours seeking out possible violations.
In the past these initiatives have proven successful. For example, during last summer’s initiative, almost 1,200 arrests were made for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol. This was in addition to almost 10,000 other minor traffic violations like speeding, driving while suspended, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. Some of these arrests came from sanction DWI Checkpoints (where officers pull over every vehicle on a particular roadway) while others stemmed from basic patrol work. Whatever the scenario, the penalties can be devastating, if convicted.
What are NJ Penalties for Drunk Driving?
Driving While Intoxicated charges carry varying penalties, depending upon the number of prior offense (if any), whether the offense occurred in a school zone, the level of intoxication and the whether you are under of drugs or alcohol (there is a difference between the two). The penalties are as follows:
First Offense DWI with a BAC Less than 0.10%
◊ Mandatory 3 month license suspension
◊ Up to 30 days in the Burlington County Jail
◊ Thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges
◊ 12 to 48 hours in the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center (IDRC)
First Offense DWI with a BAC Above 0.10% or Drug DUI
◊ Mandatory license suspension between 7 and 12 months
◊ Up to 30 days in the Burlington County Jail
◊ If your BAC 0.15% or greater: mandatory ignition interlock device during suspension and 6 to 12 months following restoration
◊ Thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges
◊ 12 to 48 hours in the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center (IDRC)
Second Offense DWI in Bordentown
◊ Mandatory 2 year license suspension
◊ Mandatory 2 to 90 days in the Burlington County Jail
◊ Installation of an Ignition Interlock Device for the period of suspension and an additional 1 to 3 years following restoration
◊ Thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges
◊ 12 to 48 hours in the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center (IDRC)
Third Offense DWI in Evesham
◊ Mandatory 10 year loss of license
◊ Mandatory 180 days in the Burlington County Jail
◊ Installation of an Ignition Interlock Device for the period of suspension and an additional 1 to 3 years following restoration
◊ Thousands of dollars in fines and surcharges
◊ 12 to 48 hours in the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center (IDRC)
Lawyers for DWI Charges Near Me
Our firm’s attorneys have handled thousands of drunk driving, driving while intoxicated and driving of the influence of drugs charges throughout our careers. We understand the intricacies involved in every DWI case. Firm Partner, William C. Fay, IV, Esq. is a former New Jersey Deputy Attorney General with the experience handling matters as both a State Attorney and Private Attorney. For an immediate consultation with Mr. Fay, please call (609) 850-8284.