DWI and DUI
Prior Uncounseled Convictions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Cannot Be Used to Enhance a Sentencing Scheme for Subsequent DWI Convictions
State v. Michael Konecny Appellate Docket No.: A-21-20 Decided April 5, 2022 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a prior uncounseled conviction for driving while intoxicated (DWI) cannot be used to enhance a sentencing scheme for subsequent DWI convictions. In Konecny, after…
Read MoreDriver was going 113 mph just before fatal DWI crash, prosecutor says
Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. A man charged in a fatal drunken driving accident in Salem County was traveling at 113 mph moments before the crash, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday. Stephen M. Karwowski, 30, of Pittsgrove Township, is charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide and fourth-degree assault by auto…
Read MoreInfrastructure bill includes requiring new technology to stop drunken driving
Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. WASHINGTON – Congress has created a new requirement for automakers: Find a high-tech way to keep drunken people from driving cars. It’s one of the mandates along with a burst of new spending aimed at improving auto safety amid escalating road fatalities in the $1 trillion infrastructure package…
Read MoreAn Officer Can Access the Information on Their Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Randomly, Without Reasonable Suspicion
State v. Carrigan Appellate Docket No.: A-1252-19 Decided August 10, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey ruled an officer can access the information on their mobile data terminal (MDT) randomly, without reasonable suspicion that a traffic offense is being committed. In State…
Read MoreFor a DUI or DWI in New Jersey, the Accused Must Be Observed for Twenty Minutes Uninterrupted
State v. Bruno Docket No. A-1144-19 Decided June 29, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished decision the Appellate Division of New Jersey affirmed defendant’s guilty plea to a driving while intoxicated (DWI) after defendant challenged the twenty-minute observation period prior to the Alcotest breathalyzer. In Bruno, as part of…
Read MoreFailure of A Judge to Advise You About Increased Penalties for Future DUI’s, Will Not Prevent Those Increased Penalties from Being Applied
State v. Lukens Appellate Docket No.: A-0458-20 Decided April 13, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In an unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed whether the failure to warn defendant of increased penalties, including six months imprisonment for a conviction of a third driving while intoxicated (DUI), during the plea…
Read MoreWindow Tint Will Almost Always Be Grounds for Police to Pull You Over
State v. Cohen Appellate Docket No.: A-0210-19 Decided April 5, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed whether a police traffic stop was lawful when police believed there was window tint even though there actually was not unlawful tint. In State v.…
Read MoreAn Alcotest and Field Sobriety Test Are Not Absolutely Necessary to Prove Intent to Operate A Vehicle Under the Influence
State v. Lyons Appellate Docket No.: A-3017-19 Decided March 24, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a conviction of a driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor (DUI) and leaving the scene of an accident after defendant was found outside of…
Read MoreUnderstand the Different Levels of Information Officers Need when Investigating to Properly Make an Arrest
State v. Ruffin Appellate Docket No.: A-3979-18 Decided March 8, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after police found a man hunched over in his car on the side of the…
Read MoreState v. Fagg | New Jersey Appellate Division unpublished Decision: Filed: 2021-01-08
Submitted by New Jersey DWI Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. Michale Fagg appeals his conviction of driving while intoxicated DWI. At around 1:30 AM, witness Jill Muriithi noticed that a vehicle was parked at the entrance of the parking lot of her apartment complex. The vehicle was just sitting there with its lights on. She had to pull…
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