NJ DWI Attorney

[weoifj]

Hi,

Could someone refer a good DWI lawyer in New Jersey? What are the standard rates for top lawyers?

My situation is:

I was recently arrested for a DWI while trying to re-park my car so that it wouldn't get ticketed or towed overnight (very dumb in retrospect). I ended up driving a block (the officer said my driving just fine) and was arrested based on my actions before entering the car and my field sobriety test conducted after I was stopped; I had also vomited in my holding cell afterwards. I was given one clean breathalyzer, and it came out to between .10 and .15.

This is my first offense, I have a clean record, and I attend graduate school at the university in town.

Would an expensive (3K +) lawyer be worth it, in my case? Could someone recommend a good attorney for this particular situation

thanks

 

[cyjeff]

We don't recommend attorneys here.

Furthermore, the vast majority of attorneys that would reach out to you on the basis of an internet post would be considered gravy sucking leeches not worth your time to talk with.

However, maybe the best attorney in the world happens by and wants to talk to you based on your case and excellent grammar and spelling.

If you wish a recommendation, I usually recommend talking to people around you that have used an attorney recently. Call the ones recommended as good and if they are not DUI attorneys, ask the attorneys recommended for a suggestion.

The legal community is pretty close... good attorneys know each other.

As for the cost, $3K for attorneys fees is on the high side but not unusual.

 

[weoifj]

Are the police legally obligated to report the DUI to the school, if they had knowledge of my status as a student there?

 

[FlyingRon]

Obligated no, but they aren't prohibited from doing so, but I don't know why they would. However, arrest records are public knowedge. Anybody who cares to look the up or reads the news paper typically can find out you were busted.

The phone book is full of lawyers, there's a link over to the left of this page to find one, you can call the county bar association in whatever county you were arrested in and see if they can make a referral.

3K isn't expensive, it's typical if they have to do nothing other than pleading guilty.

 

[weoifj]

In this scenario, would the punishment likely be harsher if one is also convicted of DWI in a school zone, even if the arrest occurred during midnight? In particular, is it much more likely that one would receive prison time?

The laws seem to stipulate a harsher monetary punishment and an extension from a possible 30 to 60 days in jail, but that appears to be up to the discretion of the judge. Of course, the time of day does not change the fact that it took place in a school zone, but I might guess that the judge's ruling would depend on the circumstance

 

[FlyingRon]

In NJ just about everything (fines, potential jail time, suspension) doubles in a school zone.

 

[asiny]

Speaking from experience - it cost me $3k for my attorney who got the multiple tickets dismissed, except for the entire breathalyser.

The police issued multiple citations, one being reckless driving (though on-board showed me to use signals when overtaking [safely] and in complete control of the vehicle), speeding (though I began to slow down during passing the new 45 sign [from a 55 zone)- they ran their lights 15yards past the sign, non-compliance to fully-stop the vehicle (the shift control failed and did not allow me to put it into PARK - later documented by the dealer mechanic and, apparently, under a recall).

The breathalyser was pseudo-tossed out, and I say this with question. The test the police used had the older-style ampoules. These (working on Photo Electric analysis) ampoules had issues with their, often inconsistent, being too little chemical causing a higher-than-true BAC limit. My limit marked at .08. Unsure on exactly the wording, but the test was set-aside but not the results. The court gave me the minimum 3-month suspension, plus all associated costs.. had I not retained an attorney, my costs would have far surpassed what I had paid with one.