Third-Time DUI/DWI Offense, New Jersey
The state of New Jersey enforces harsh penalties for individuals who have been charged with a third or subsequent DUI/DWI offense. If you require a DWI/DUI attorney, contact me, Anthony N. Palumbo, for a free drunk driving consultation and review of your arrest. I will know what the best defenses are to fight your case, if your arrest was legal or illegal and how to deal with the prosecutor who wants to put you behind bars.
I am a former prosecutor and current public defender with over 35 years of criminal trial experience. If you have been charged with a DUI/DWI offense in New Jersey, I can help you with your case. Contact me today at my firm The Law Offices of Anthony N. Palumbo, 908-272-9700 , and I will make sure your rights are protected.
The Law Offices of Anthony N. Palumbo defends individuals accused of DWI/DUI offenses throughout New Jersey, including Union County, Middlesex County, Somerset County, Monmouth County, Essex County, Hudson County, Morris County and Ocean County.
Penalties If Convicted
If you are convicted of a third-time DUI/DWI offense in New Jersey, you will face imprisonment for six months and serious fines. Additionally, you may face a number of other personal difficulties, including loss of employment or possibly loss of your residence. When facing penalties this serious, it is important to have an experienced New Jersey DUI/DWI defense attorney by your side to make sure that you are given the best representation possible.
Penalties for a third or subsequent conviction include:
- A fine of $1,000
- Jail for 180 days (approximately six months)
- The loss of your driver’s license for eight years
- Mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device for two to four years (upon completion of suspension)
- Attendance in an in-patient alcoholism treatment program
- Automobile surcharge of $1,500 a year for three years
- Fee to Intoxicated Driver Resource Center
- Additional surcharges such as:
$200 surcharge for the drunk driving enforcement fund
$75 safe neighborhood fund
$50 violent crimes compensation fee
$150 intoxicated driver program fee
$200 NJ MVC restoration charge
$100 state and municipality fee
Some defenses an experienced DWI/DUI lawyer will examine are as follows:
- Examine all prior DWI/DUI convictions and determine whether they were represented by an attorney or uncounselled and whether the passage of time might allow for a reduced charge. Possibly the classification of a drunk driving charge may be changed to a first or second offender, which would lower the penalties.
- Verify that the breath test rules were followed. Did the test operator have a current certification? Determine if the machine had a current certification and if the machine was calibrated as often as required. Check the ampoules used in the machine and the number of times the machine’s solution has been changed.
- Consider filing a motion to suppress – challenge the very stop made by the police officer that led to the arrest, was the car being operated properly or erratically?
- Hire a certified and qualified expert to challenge the test results of the Breathalyzer machine.
A DUI/DWI attorney should also fully explain not only the fines and penalties associated with the offense but also the additional administration costs and automobile insurance increases generated by a conviction.
Discuss Your Case With An Experienced Attorney
If you have been charged with a third-time DUI/DWI offense in New Jersey, you are facing serious penalties, including a long mandatory prison sentence that can ruin your life. Contact me, Anthony N. Palumbo, an experienced New Jersey DUI/DWI defense attorney today at 908-272-9700 for a free DWI/DUI consultation and review of your arrest. I will aggressively defend your rights and make sure that all possible defenses are exercised on your behalf.