A 91-year-old resident of Clifton, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to charges of drunk driving in a Mount Olive Township courtroom.
Richard Johnston was spotted driving the wrong way on Route 46 back in March and police were called.
Officer Christopher Saunders responded and located the vehicle in the parking lot of a gas station that was closed for the night.
Saunders administered field sobriety tests for Johnston, who was taken into custody and later provided a breath test at the police station.
Johnston was charged with DWI and released to a sober driver.
On August 1, he told Judge Brian Levine that he had been drinking before the incident.
Levine followed the law, but it doesn’t appear that he threw the book at Johnston, possibly because of the man’s age.
Johnston was fined $254 for the DWI, ordered to pay a $250 surcharge, plus another $75 to the N.J. Safe Neighborhoods Program, $50 to the N.J. Victims Crime Compensation Board, and $33 in court costs.
Johnston’s license was suspended for three months because of DWI, as well.
It’s hard to say exactly how much Johnston’s life will change as a result of a DWI conviction at the age of 91, but for people who commute to jobs, take kids to school, and have to be available to pick up groceries and attend to myriad daily activities, a lengthy license suspension can be crushing.
Don’t risk being caught in the endless cycle of a DWI conviction followed by a charge for driving on a suspended license.
Matthew Reisig has helped more than 1,040 drivers in New Jersey avoid conviction on DWI and related charges.
Call 732-625-9660 today for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer.
