A 66-year-old woman leaving a New Jersey liquor store was taken into custody for drunk driving on Feb. 19 around 5:30 p.m. after an anonymous phone call to police claimed she was swerving before turning into the store's parking lot. According to a police officer who responded to the tip, the woman left the liquor store and got into her car. She began swerving again as she drove up the road.
The police officer pulled her over and administered field sobriety tests that she failed to complete. She was given a breath test at the police station and allegedly tested at three times the legal limit for alcohol.
The woman is now facing charges for failure to keep right, reckless driving and DWI. She was released to a friend.
DWI charges like the ones in this case can have serious consequences. They may include license suspension, probation, community service or even jail time. Therefore, individuals facing such charges may want to work with an attorney.
An attorney may be able to look at a case like this one and recommend several courses of action for an individual. For example, a police officer may have violated the individual's rights. If the procedures for taking the individual into custody were not properly followed, it may be possible to have the charges dismissed.
An individual might also opt for a plea bargain in which they work with the prosecution to plead guilty in exchange for lesser charges. In a drunk driving case like this one, this might mean probation or community service in lieu of other penalties.
Source: NJ.com, "Driver leaving liquor store charged with DWI in Hoptacong," Feb. 23, 2015
Tags: DWI charges, license suspension, penalties