Almost everyone with a driver’s license has gotten a few traffic tickets in their lifetime. Do you really need to hire a criminal defense lawyer when you go to traffic court, though? It depends on why you are going. If your ticket was just for running a red light without causing an accident or for having a broken taillight, then the amount of money at stake is not that much, and it is probably simpler just to pay the ticket. If you are being accused of a traffic offense serious enough that you could get your driver’s license suspended or go to jail, however, then you should hire the Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall. 

The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall is a group of 11 certified criminal trial lawyers with a total of over 200 combined years of experience. The law firm’s two conveniently located offices in Bloomfield and Newark are entirely devoted to criminal defense and DUI cases. The Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are your best choice if you are facing criminal charges for a motor vehicle offense.

Typical violations:

Essex County DWI Lawyer

In New Jersey, driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) are the same thing. The terms DWI and DUI both mean driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol or a controlled and dangerous substance (CDS) such as an illegal drug or certain prescription drugs.  In cases involving alcohol, you can be arrested and charged with DUI if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or higher at the time of the traffic stop or if you refuse to allow police to test your BAC. The penalties for DWI vary according to how high your BAC was and whether you have any prior DWI convictions. These penalties can include monetary fines, driver’s license suspension, probation, jail, and having an ignition interlock device installed on your car.

With first-offense DUI cases, it is often possible to get the charges dropped if you successfully complete a pretrial diversion program. The programs require you to demonstrate safe driving behaviors throughout the duration of the program and to undergo substance abuse counseling. The Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can help ensure that you have access to pretrial intervention if you are eligible for it.

Driving With a Suspended License

DWI is not the only traffic offense that can result in temporary suspension of your driver’s license; you can also get your license suspended simply because of a series of relatively minor traffic infractions such as speeding. Not being able to drive when you are used to doing so can be a major hassle, but it is important to avoid driving until your license is reinstated. The Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can help you persuade the court to reinstate your license sooner or grant you limited driving privileges if license suspension is part of your sentence for DUI or another traffic offense.

Driving without a valid New Jersey driver’s license can lead to criminal penalties, including fines, longer periods of license suspension, or even jail.  You can get in legal trouble if you do not have a valid license for any reason, including but not limited to the following:

  • You are too young to drive
  • Your driver’s license got suspended because of DUI or repeat traffic infractions
  • You moved to New Jersey more than a few weeks ago but have not yet applied for a New Jersey driver’s license (if you are visiting New Jersey temporarily, you can drive with your out of state license)

Newark, New Jersey Speeding Tickets Attorney

Almost everyone has driven a few miles per hour above the speed limit without causing an accident or getting a ticket, especially if there were not very many cars on the road, or if they were just doing it to keep up with traffic. You can get criminal penalties if you drive 10 miles per hour or more faster than the posted speed limit, whether or not you caused an accident while speeding. What the penalties will be varies according to how much faster than the speed limit you were driving, and also whether it is a first offense or a repeat offense. Additional factors can make speeding charges more serious, such as if you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs and whether a child was with you in the car. The Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall can help ensure that you do not get a penalty disproportionate to the offense of speeding.

Reckless Driving and Careless Driving

The legal definitions of reckless driving and careless driving in the New Jersey statutes make them sound similar, but in practice, there is a difference between them, and reckless driving is the more serious of the two charges. In New Jersey, careless driving means unintentionally driving dangerously, while reckless driving means intentionally driving dangerously. Careless driving is, for all practical purposes, a synonym for distracted driving. You can get a ticket for careless driving if you hold your phone and respond to a text message while driving, for example. Reckless driving charges result from actions such as driving more than 29 miles per hour above the speed limit. A reckless driving charge, by itself, can be punishable by a fine of up to $200 and a jail sentence of up to 60 days. If you cause an accident because of careless driving or reckless driving, the penalties can be more severe.

Essex County Hit-and-Run Defense Lawyer

Leaving the scene of a car accident involving property damage, injuries, or fatalities is a crime according to New Jersey law. The terms “hit-and-run” and “leaving the scene of an accident” mean the same thing, namely driving away from a car accident before police arrive and without exchanging contact information with the other driver. Especially if someone was injured in the accident, it is important to stay at the scene until first responders arrive. In many instances of hit-and-run accidents, the driver’s motivation for leaving the scene was fear that they would get in trouble for some other offense, such as driving with a suspended license, DWI, or drug possession. Even if you have reason to fear arrest, do not leave the scene of a car accident.  Instead, call for an ambulance, if appropriate, and then contact the Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall to find out the next steps in exercising your legal rights.

Driving Without Insurance

All drivers in New Jersey are required to carry liability insurance. If you continue driving after your car insurance expires and before you renew it, you can face additional financial penalties.  Remember that traffic offenses defense attorneys can help you with all kinds of legal problems related to driving. The Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are standing by, ready to guide you through your driving without insurance case. Our traffic offenses defense lawyers have been to traffic court countless times to represent clients, and no charge is too minor.

Possession of Illegal Drugs in a Motor Vehicle

Many arrests for possession of controlled and dangerous substances (CDS) take place at traffic stops. If the police want to pull you over when you are driving, do not try to elude them because that will make the problem worse; it will give them a stronger reason to suspect that you have something to hide. Be truthful with officers when they stop your car; you and your criminal defense lawyer can always argue later that the police were not within their rights to pull you over or to search your vehicle for drugs. Remember that, just because a police K9 acted like it thought there were drugs in your car, that does not mean that you are guilty; police K9s are trained to indicate that they smell drugs based on cues from human officers. If the jurors do not already know this, the Essex County traffic offenses defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall will help them understand it.

Essex County Traffic Crimes Defense Attorneys

Traffic court might not sound like a big deal, but it can result in driver’s license suspension or worse. Likewise, some traffic crimes, such as DWI, are punishable by jail or prison. If you are being accused of any except the most minor of traffic infractions, it is in your interest to hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent you; the law gives you the right to do this. If you are facing charges for reckless driving, hit and run, or any other traffic offense, contact the Essex County criminal defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall to discuss your case.