DWI Information

The former police chief of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, who retired in March, has been charged with driving under the influence after he crashed his vehicle into a utility pole in South Plainfield in September.

Brian T. Mahoney, 51, spent eleven years as the top cop in Scotch Plains.

Just before midnight on September 10, he was driving his 2016 Dodge Durango westbound on New Durham Road when his vehicle veered and struck a utility pole, which split in half.

In a police report, the responding officer says that Mahoney initially said that he “did not remember why he struck the pole,” but later told the officer he was talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident.

Mahoney’s breath smelled of alcohol, according to the report, and after he was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment of his injuries, police asked for a search warrant and got a blood sample to test for alcohol.

The former chief has been charged with DWI, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane.

As a 30-year Scotch Plains cop and its chief for more than a decade, Mahoney obviously knows what he’s facing.

Whether you’re a cop or an ordinary citizen, a DWI charge can seriously impede your future.

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

It’s a widely held belief that police officers get special treatment from their colleagues when they’re accused of breaking the law.

According to Tom Scurria of Waterford, NJ, he actually witnessed this very conduct, and his allegations have launched internal affairs investigations in two area police departments.

The situation began on a Sunday afternoon when Scurria, with his wife in the car, was driving west on the White Horse Pike near Atoc Brewing Company.

A car driving in the opposite direction suddenly took a left hand turn directly in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes and nearly causing an accident.

Scurria followed the car into the Town Center plaza parking lot and confronted the driver, Nicholas Gagliardi, who was able to exit his car only with difficulty.

Gagliardi explained that he was a Camden police officer, and though he denied drinking, Scurria said that he kept repeating that nothing would happen to him because he’s a cop, after he learned that Scurria had called the police.

Indeed, when Waterford Police arrived on the scene, Scurria says he and his wife were questioned extensively, and police only performed a field sobriety test on Gagliardi a full hour after the incident.

Gagliardi was ultimately arrested and is currently suspended, pending an internal affairs investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, Waterford’s internal affairs department is investigating the behavior of the officers who responded to Scurria’s call to determine whether their actions were timely and appropriate.

Not everybody gets to hide behind a badge when they’re accused of drunk driving.

If you’re facing DWI or related charges in New Jersey, an experienced DWI defense attorney can make a big difference in your case.

Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 and talk to a lawyer for free.

A 54-year-old Point Pleasant man has been arrested on a host of charges after a bizarre attempt to elude police.

New York police were initially notified of an erratic driver approaching the Holland Tunnel, but it was what happened when the car arrived in New Jersey that makes this case noteworthy.

Port Authority police finally spotted Robert Musso’s black Chevrolet when he emerged from the tunnel and attempted to pull him over.

He continued driving, proceeding to the westbound ramp of Route 139 before finally pulling over.

Once the police vehicle pulled in behind him, Musso allegedly put his car in reverse and accelerated backwards, injuring the officer in the vehicle.

He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center and other officers began field sobriety tests of Musso, who collapsed into a police officer’s arms.

The police report notes that Musso blew a .20 on a breath test, or two and a half times the legal limit, and also had several bottles of pills in his car, including Xanax.

He’s been charged with DWI and drug possession, reckless driving, and assaulting an officer- and is obviously in a very serious legal situation.

Even in the best of circumstances, a DWI charge can profoundly impact your ability to conduct your life, and frequently results in a painful cycle of DWI conviction, license suspension, and then subsequent charges and suspensions if you’re caught driving on a suspended license.

New Jersey doesn’t allow plea bargains in DWI cases, so your only real chance at avoiding these traps is to fight back.

Matthew Reisig is one of New Jersey’s most accomplished DWI defense lawyers.

If you’ve been charged in a DWI case, call 732-625-9660 today and talk to an experienced New Jersey DWI attorney for free.

A report out from the personal finance website WalletHub claims that New Jersey’s DWI laws and enforcement are among the most lenient in the nation.

This will come as a surprise to the thousands of New Jersey drivers who’ve been caught up in the cycle of a DWI conviction, a license suspension, being caught driving on a suspended license, and ending up off the roads – or, more likely, driving illegally – and facing a seemingly endless period of suspension and fines.

WalletHub ranked states according to a variety of metrics and found that New Jersey, where DWI is a traffic offense rather than a criminal offense, came in 45th among the states in terms of criminal penalties, but 13th in terms of minimum jail time for a first offense and 6th in the nation for how long past DWI convictions will factor in subsequent charges.

That alone should tell us there’s something screwy with their analysis. We also rank 11th in average insurance rate hikes after a DWI conviction, and 14th for minimum fines for a first offender.

The truth of the matter is that New Jersey has some of the most unforgiving DWI laws in the nation.

Because our state doesn’t allow for conditional or hardship licenses once you’re convicted, many drivers are forced to take to the road without a license to get to work, school, and take care of their families.

This puts them at risk of additional penalties if they’re caught driving on a suspended license, including additional periods of suspension and ever-increasing fines.

It’s a trap that’s caught far too many drivers in our state.

If you’re facing charges for DWI and related offenses, don’t kid yourself that this isn’t a serious matter.

An experienced New Jersey DWI defense attorney is your best shot at protecting yourself down the line.

Don’t be caught in New Jersey’s DWI traps.

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

Harrison High School may be hiring another football coach after their most recent appointment, Thomas Ferriero, 50, was arrested. According to police, Ferriero was behind the wheel of a town-owned van that he was not authorized to drive, when he struck a pair of parked cars.

He proceeded to make a U-turn across Hamilton Street and then veered left onto Kingsland Avenue, where he struck a third parked car, in front of the high school where he was scheduled to begin working August 15. Then he crossed over the roadway and hit a fourth, and final, parked car.

Police arriving on the scene found Ferriero slurring and unsteady. He told them he’d had three beers, although his blood alcohol level later tested at .11%, well over the state’s .08% threshold. He faces multiple charges, including DWI, DWI in a school zone, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, failure to show a license, and leaving the scene of an accident, with additional charges expected.

Needless to say, his legal situation appears dire, but that’s not the worst of it for Ferriero. He’s been suspended without pay after the DWI charges while the Harrison Board of Education considers its options, which may include termination.

Teachers, coaches, and others in the public sector are held to a different standard, rightly or wrongly. Employers like a public school have to consider the reputation of their personnel as they weigh who will best function as role models for the children they educate, and a very public DWI on school property is a quick way to find yourself not only facing significant legal penalties, but also searching for a new career after driving drunk in NJ.

There are defenses in every DWI case, and working with a solid lawyer can go a long way towards getting the best outcome, even in a difficult case. Matthew Reisig has helped more than 1,040 New Jersey drivers avoid conviction on DWI and related charges. Call 732-625-9660 today for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer.

A 20-year-old Sparta, New Jersey, driver has been charged with several violations, including DWI, after a two-car crash on Tall Oaks Road in Sparta. Shawn P. Monroe was driving overnight on July 30 when his vehicle struck another car. Officers responded and determined that Monroe showed signs of drug or alcohol intoxication. Field sobriety tests were performed, which Monroe allegedly failed, and he was taken into custody by police.

While in transit to the police station, Monroe reportedly became unresponsive, and was instead taken to Newton Medical Center, where he received treatment. He’s been charged with DWI, careless driving, and unclear license plates. As a driver charged with drunk driving under the age of 21, the long-term impact of a DWI can be especially painful, since insurers are not required to cover a driver with a history of drunk driving, and they can be especially punitive to young drivers. Luckily, in this case, the driver of the other vehicle wasn’t injured, and Monroe will have his day in court in the future.

If you or a loved one have been charged in an underage DWI case in New Jersey, you deserve the best representation available. Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer.