New Jersey DWI laws are strict enough to begin with. However, NJ laws are even tougher if you are pulled over for a DWI in a school zone. If you are issued a DWI summons in a school zone, the penalties can be significantly more severe than a regular DWI ticket. This is one of my least favorite laws. Who knew that some places are better to drive drunk than others? There shouldn’t be. But in New Jersey, there are, according to this law.
While the lawmakers have gone out of their way to protect kids against drunk drivers, school zone DWIs are strictly enforced. Many prosecutors use the enhanced school zone penalties to scare people to plead guilty to the DWI ticket.
If you have received a summons for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) in a School Zone in New Jersey, you need an experienced NJ DWI Lawyer. Please contact my office immediately. I have been handling NJ DWI for almost 20 years and understand how to defend DWI cases in NJ. I am certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney. I know how to effectively protect your rights, your driving privileges, avoid interlock devices, jail time – and effectively defend against DWI school zone tickets. The penalties for DWI in NJ are some of the most serious in the country to begin with. NJ School Zone DWIs are even tougher. You need a serious New Jersey DWI attorney to properly defend against these charges.
What is a DWI in a School Zone in NJ?
- DWI that occurs on any school property
- DWI that occurs 1000 feet from school property
- Drunk Driving in a school crossing
- Drunk Driving near a location where juveniles are present – including a school bus or school bus stop
- Warning: It is not a defense if the school is closed for the night/summer, or if you did not know it was a school zone
Penalties for NJ DWI in a School Zone
- 1st School Zone DWI Offense: Mandatory suspension of driving privileges for 1 – 2 years; Jail for up to 60 days; Fine from $600 – $1,000
- 2nd School Zone DWI Offense: Mandatory FOUR (4) year suspension of your driving privileges; Jail for minimum 4 days and maximum 6 months; Fine from $1,000 – $2,000
- 3rd School Zone DWI Offense: Mandatory suspension of your driving privileges for TEN (10) years; JAIL for 180 days is required; Fine amount $2,000.
Will I Lose My NJ Driver’s License from my DWI in a School Zone?
Just because you were issued a DWI ticket, it does not mean that you are guilty. The police officer thinks you are guilty. That’s why he gave you the DWI ticket. However, that does not mean that the prosecutor will be able to prove that you were guilty of DWI. That is why you need an experienced New Jersey DWI lawyer.
There are MANY defenses to DWI tickets. In order for the State to establish that you were DWI, there are evidentiary elements required by the NJ Supreme Court. As a board certified criminal trial attorney by the NJ Supreme Court, I know how to challenge the motor vehicle stop, the field sobriety tests, the breathalyzer/alcotest BAC results, and even use an expert in many cases to challenge the State’s case.
How Much Does a NJ DWI Lawyer Cost?
Do not sell yourself short by thinking, “I cannot afford a NJ DWI defense lawyer.” The price you pay for a DWI conviction exceeds hiring a NJ DWI attorney. The cost for an experienced attorney is far less than the fines, penalties, surcharges, insurance costs and collateral expenses for the suspension of driving privileges from a DWI conviction. The value of a qualified DWI attorney far outweighs the costs associated with a conviction. Please contact me immediately for strategy session so I can review your case and see if we can obtain a dismissal of your NJ DWI charges, or achieve a downgrade to a reduced license suspension, fines, penalties and surcharges.
Do not trust your case to any attorney. Just like you would not want a brain surgeon to operate on your heart, you do not want an attorney who does not specialize in NJ DWI cases to represent you in Court. I am a board-certified criminal trial attorney by the NJ Supreme Court and provide aggressive and professional legal services. Please contact me now to schedule your complimentary thirty-minute strategy session.
