PARSIPPANY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Chief of Investigations John Speirs announce the implementation of a Driving While Intoxicated checkpoint in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township on Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17.
The checkpoint is a result of a grant the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has received from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to conduct DWI checkpoints at various locations throughout Morris County. The County DWI Enforcement Grant is designed to establish checkpoints in cooperation with municipal departments in the county.
In New Jersey, a person with a (Blood Alcohol Count) BAC of 0.08% or greater who operates a motor vehicle or a boat is considered to be driving while intoxicated (DWI). Being convicted of a DWI is a serious offense, carrying heavy penalties including: Fines, fees and surcharges. License suspension.
In a recent report, MADD ranked New Jersey among the worst states in the nation for protecting drunken driving victims, giving the state two out of five stars.
Under New Jersey law, DWI is considered a motor vehicle offense and tried in municipal court. First-time offenders face license suspensions ranging from three months to a year, imprisonment of up to 30 days and thousands of dollars in fees and surcharges.
Those penalties increase for repeat offenders, and drivers found guilty of their third DWI offense face up to 180 days in jail — the maximum allowed for DWI under state law — though part of that term can be served at a rehab facility.
When a drunken driver injures or kills another driver in a crash, there are other criminal charges that come into play, including assault by auto, aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide. But those charges are handled in a different venue.
Recently, a Parsippany woman, Vanessa Brown, related to a 2012 crash that killed popular East Hanover community activist Ralph Politi, Jr. Brown, a repeat offender, was found guilty of DWI days later in a separate proceeding.
While New Jersey offenders can avoid lengthy prison sentences for drunken driving, the fines, fees and surcharges have grown over the years.
There’s an automobile insurance surcharge of $1,000 a year for three years; a $100.00 surcharge for the Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund; a Motor Vehicle Commission restoration fee of $100.00; an Intoxicated Driving Program fee of $100.00; a $50.00 Violent Crimes Compensation Fund fee; and a $75.00 Safe and Secure Community Program fee, among other expenses.
