Pretrial Motions and Preserving a Claim

Submitted by New Jersey DWI lawyer, Jeffrey Hark The recent case State v. Parikh involved a DWI charge that was disputed on jurisdictional grounds. However, in the background of the case there was another issue that deserves special attention on this blog. In a last-ditch attempt to have his case dismissed, Parikh invoked the “fruits…

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DWI Stop After Driver Was “Run Off the Road” | US Supreme Court Ruling

Submitted by New Jersey DWI attorney, Jeffrey Hark. Today the US. Supreme Court upheld a DWI stop based upon a tip that the driver had “been run off the road”. The Court found sufficient reliability in the detail and personal observation of the tip. See case attached. (Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2013 Syllabus NOTE: Where…

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New Jersey DWI and Aggravated Manslaughter – First Degree Charge

Submitted by New Jersey DWI and Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark 14-2-3474 State v. Liepe, App. Div. (per curiam) (11 pp.) The serious issue presented in this case is the prosecutor’s decision to charge an individual with aggravated manslaughter, a first degree charge exposing the defendant to a possible jail term between 10-20 years in New…

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State v. McGrath | New Jersey DUI and the Ignition Interlock Device

14-2-2924 State v. McGrath, App. Div. (per curiam) (14 pp.) Submitted by New Jersey DWI attorney, Jeffrey Hark After a trial de novo in the Law Division, defendant appeals from his conviction for refusing to submit to a chemical breath test. Defendant argues the conviction should be reversed because the officer read the April 2004…

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DWI Legislation Would Replace Drunken Driving Suspensions with Ignition Locks

RECORD FILE PHOTO Hasbrouck Heights police conducting a sobriety check in 2002. Penalties for DWI could be changed this year. Most convicted drunken drivers in New Jersey could avoid mandatory license suspensions under a new bill making its way through the Legislature — a proposal that constitutes a major shift in how the state deals…

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New Jersey DWI Case: Invalid Investigatory Stop – State v Bennet

State v Bennet (UnPub App 2013) Today the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed the municipal court’s determination that a police officer did not have any objective lawful basis to walk up to a car in a gas station at or near a college campus and open the door and immediately investigate a DWI offense. In…

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New Jersey DWI Case – ALCOTEST Results, Physical Condition and Officer Testimony: Honesty and Officer Credibility

  State v. Kuropchack: On March 18, 2013 the New Jersey Appellate Division issued its opinion in this case. Defendant Julie Kuropchak was convicted in the Garfield Municipal Court of driving while intoxicated (DWI), N.J.S.A. 39:4-50. Following a trial de novo in the Law Division, she was again found guilty. As a third time offender, defendant was…

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Alcotester 7110 Ruled Scientifically Reliable

The Supreme Court of New Jersey has denied defense attorney’s efforts to invalidate the ALCOTESTER 7110 breath test machine used by all police departments in New Jersey. Today the Court issued an Order stating that the 7110 machine remains scientifically reliable’ ruling that defendants failed to demonstrate that the State “willfully refused” to comply with…

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