DUI Penalties

An open records request made by news outlet New Jersey 101.5 is giving the public a first view of the extent to which police officers have themselves been brushing up against New Jersey’s DWI laws.

In at least one newly discovered case, reporting requirements imposed by counties seem to not have been properly followed.

That appears to be the case for a Union County Sheriff’s Office captain whose job it is to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by fellow cops.

The night of April 9, William Bukowski’s Chevrolet Tahoe swerved out of his lane of traffic and struck a parked Chevrolet Colorado, hitting it with enough force to send the Colorado across the street and onto a nearby lawn.

Bukowski told responding officers that he reacted when a deer ran in front of his car, but subsequent investigation revealed that his blood alcohol level was .22 percent, or almost three times the legal limit.

In Union County, a rule was implemented after a tragic 2015 case where a Linden police officer killed two men in a wrong-way drunk driving crash.

The rule requires that DWI and other misdemeanor charges incurred by police officers must be reported to prosecutors.

Bukowski, 47, was charged with DWI and careless driving, and is awaiting his case to be heard in Westfield Municipal Court.

Sheriff Joe Cryan, who is vying for a state Senate seat this fall, declined to comment on what he described as a personnel matter, and did not elaborate on whether Bukowski’s case had been properly forwarded to the local prosecutor’s office under the existing rule.

A DWI charge can have serious impacts in all areas of your life.

If you’ve been arrested for DWI in New Jersey, call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 and talk to an experienced DWI defense lawyer for free.

From the pictures, it’s hard to believe that the two men in Vasili Pieratos’s Mercedes Benz walked away from a devastating crash in Park Ridge, but luckily, they did.

Pieratos, 43, a police sergeant in Ramsey, lost control of the car as he came around a curve on Kinderkamack Road in the early morning hours of June 14.

The car left the road, went through a yard, struck a tree, and rolled over before finally coming to rest in a second yard.

Pieratos and his passenger, also a police officer, were able to get themselves out of the vehicle without help from police and fire crews who arrived on the scene after homeowners in the area called it in.

The driver’s blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.19%, more than twice the legal limit for DWI.

Officer Todd Stowe, who responded to the accident, wrote in his report that, “The driver’s impairment by alcohol caused him to fail to negotiate the curve and the resultant crash.”

Pieratos was charged with DWI, reckless driving, and given a summons for an unsafe lane change.

Asked for comment by local media, Ramsey Police Chief Bryan Gurney would only provide an email saying that his officer’s DWI is a personnel matter and the department will handle the situation according to state guidelines.

It’s entirely possible that Pieratos will be able to keep his job, though his record will undoubtedly be scrutinized and play a role in final determinations.

People entrusted with public safety have a heavier burden when they become a danger to the public, and Pieratos and his passenger both have a lot of explaining to do.

If you’ve been arrested for DWI in New Jersey, get experienced help right away.

Matthew Reisig has helped more than 1,040 drivers avoid conviction on DWI charges.

Call 732-625-9660 today for your free consultation.

Well that didn’t take long.

After the new Goethals Bridge opened in early June, replacing the old bridge in connecting New Jersey to Staten Island, it took just days for police in the vicinity to arrest a man for driving drunk – and in the wrong direction – from the bridge.

The arrest happened on the New York side of the bridge, where a 26-year-old Hazlet, New Jersey, man was driving eastbound in the westbound lane on Goethals Road around 4:00 on Sunday morning.

The car was weaving as well, and when police pulled the vehicle over, the driver was unable to perform field sobriety tests after he nearly fell down.

After refusing a breathalyzer test, he was arrested and taken to headquarters for processing.

Just because he was arrested in another state doesn’t mean the driver will suffer no hardships when he comes home.

Because of reciprocity agreements made with most other states, punishments you receive while traveling follow you back to New Jersey, and after conviction elsewhere, you’re likely to receive a letter informing you that your New Jersey driver’s license is suspended.

There are ways to fight this, and it’s always worthwhile to sit down with an experienced New Jersey DWI lawyer to talk about your options when facing sanction at home for decisions made across a state border.

If you’re facing DWI penalties from out of state, call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced DWI defense lawyer.

Over the border in Pennsylvania, a District Judge has found herself in some hot water after a DUI stop in April.

At the time, her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, and in late May she waived a hearing on her case.

She remains on the bench, though all DUI cases on her docket have been reassigned to District Judge Thomas H. Xavios, who is notably also hearing her case.

In a bit of an irony, Scott’s lawyer told the court that the judge is applying to participate in Pennsylvania’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, or ARD.

This is a probationary program that lets first-time offenders complete a series of requirements, including community service, payment of court costs, and other elements that the District Attorney decides are necessary.

Once completed, a first-time DUI offender walks away with a clean record and no admission of guilt.

Scott is the 29-year-old daughter of Reading’s Mayor, Wally Scott, and succeeded her dad on the bench when he retired to run for mayor.

Her lawyer insists that the case features no special treatment for his client, and that the same rules that would apply to any defendant are being applied here.

Still, for defendants who can’t afford a lawyer or meet the terms of a diversionary program, it has to look like the privileged are, as always, prevailing.

New Jersey doesn’t have a first-offender diversion program for DWI, but it does have ample opportunities to defend yourself against charges of drunk driving.

If you’ve been stopped for DWI in New Jersey, call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense attorney.

A Barnegat woman probably didn’t get the type of help she was looking for when she recently flagged down a Lacey police officer and then pulled into a parking lot off Route 9 North in Forked River.

Officer Brian Holt was on patrol when he saw Lisa Aguayo, 46, waving him over, then followed her into the lot.

He determined that she was likely intoxicated, while further investigation revealed that her passenger, Michael Wiston, 47, was in possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Holt arrested both of them and transported them to police headquarters, where Aguayo was charged with DWI, reckless driving, driving with an open container of alcohol, and refusal.

Wiston was given a summons for possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana.

The vehicle was impounded under the terms of John’s Law.

Press accounts do not reveal why Aguayo flagged her arresting officer down in the first place.

DWI charges happen all the time, but there are defenses in every case.

A good defense means you have the best chance at avoiding the costly penalties that follow a DWI.

Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 and talk to an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer for free.

Legislation being considered in New Jersey’s state senate would create a new felony charge that prosecutors could levy against drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes.

Under a proposal by State Senator Dave Oroho, R-24, a third degree crime called Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide would be added to the books, and could lead to a sentence of three to five years and fines as high as $15,000 for those convicted.

Most third degree crimes in the state carry a presumption of non-incarceration for first time offenders.

However, Oroho’s bill, known as “Ralph and David’s Law” after two New Jersey residents who died after being struck by drunk drivers, waives that presumption, and those convicted would have to serve time.

There’s no word yet on whether the legislation, officially known as S. 2423, is likely to overcome the significant hurdles required to become law.

New Jersey law is constantly changing with regard to DWI, and it’s vitally important to anyone charged that they work with an attorney who is absolutely up to date on the latest legislation and case law.

You can beat a DWI charge in New Jersey.

Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced DWI defense attorney.