AI And The Rise Of Automated Policing Artificial intelligence is starting to make its way into law enforcement, including DWI enforcement. Some companies are now developing AI-integrated body-worn camera systems that assist officers in drafting police reports. While I haven’t personally seen one of these systems in action, it’s fairly straightforward: the AI processes video and audio footage and then auto-generates a report based on what it observes. From a defense perspective, this is both fascinating and concerning. On one hand, AI-generated reports could standardize how evidence is recorded. But on the other hand, it opens the door to inaccuracies,…Read More
Does It Matter Who Pulls You Over? In NJ DWIs, the arrest location has a significant impact on how things take shape. The same is true of what investigating agency it is that pulls you over. New Jersey State Police, local police departments, sheriff’s departments, and bridge or port authorities all bring varying levels of training, resources, and experience to the table, and this directly affects how cases unfold. NJ DWI arrest location impact State Police Generally speaking, state troopers are the best trained when it comes to DWI detection. In addition to their formal instruction, most go through a…Read More
Common Drugs In DWI Cases A few drugs I frequently encounter in cases I handle include marijuana, prescription medications, and heroin. Sometimes, fentanyl is involved, too – especially in instances where heroin is. But in the vast majority of these situations, the cases revolve around a single drug, not a cocktail of substances. This matters because it directly affects how the case is prosecuted and how the defense is built. The Challenges Of Proving Drug-Related Impairment The New Jersey Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Olenowski has dramatically reshaped how the state must handle drug-related DWI prosecutions. Prior to this…Read More
Unpacking New Realities In recent years, drugged driving in New Jersey has become increasingly common. Since the legalization of marijuana for adults 21 and over, we’ve seen a spike in cases involving cannabis. But these aren’t limited exclusively to marijuana. Prescription medications, opiates, heroin, and other substances also frequently come into play. More often now, I’m seeing cases where a driver has a small amount of alcohol in their system well below the legal limit, but is also suspected of having used marijuana. The combination raises red flags for police, even if each substance on its own wouldn't necessarily trigger…Read More
Experience Over The Years, From The Wild West To Structure and Oversight I've been practicing DWI defense in New Jersey since 1998. Over the years, the New Jersey DWI court process has evolved dramatically, especially in municipal courts. The rules and oversight have become far more structured and consistent than they once were. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, municipal courts in New Jersey had a lot more autonomy. Judges operated with very little oversight from the administrative courts. It wasn’t uncommon at all for people to refer to the system as the Wild West. Even though I wasn’t…Read More
Legal weed is a possibility for New Jersey this year. While the state currently allows medicinal use of cannabis for residents with a prescription, the legalization of recreational use and possession would change the game in a major way. Currently, there are only six medical marijuana dispensaries in all of New Jersey. If legal recreational weed becomes a reality, that number could grow exponentially. Cannabis could be delivered to users’ doorsteps, like a hot and ready pizza. Hotels and casinos would be allowed to dedicate up to 20% of their available space to creating areas for guests to use legal…Read More
Americans need to give a bit of thought to their drinking habit on the fourth of July apart from the celebrations. Fourth of July is considered one of the deadliest days along with Christmas holidays and new year’s eve when it comes to drunk driving. It is one of those days when celebrations end up in tragedy as a result of drunken driving fatalities. Statistics show that July 4 had the second highest percent of car crash deaths, between the years 2010 and 2014, which are linked to alcohol use. The top 10 deadliest days are summarized below along with…Read More
23-year-old Arthur A. Lewis, of Trenton, New Jersey, was accused of driving recklessly at high speed after his vehicle crashed on Interstate 95 in Bucks County early Friday morning. Lewis was driving under the influence and was charged with third-degree murder and related offenses. One of his passengers, 22-year-old Javairia Mahmood, was killed in the crash. Two other passengers, who were traveling in the back seat, sustained injuries. Lewis was also charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence. According to reports, Lewis was spotted driving an Acura sedan by two Pennsylvania State Police troopers. They spotted him…Read More
A woman, who was sitting in a parked car near the 1800 block of South 13th Street in South Philadelphia, was killed when her vehicle was struck Saturday afternoon by a motorist who was suspected to be driving under the influence of intoxicants. The incident took place shortly after 3 p.m. when a 59-year-old motorist hit three parked cars. The motorist was driving on the 1800 block of South 13th Street. As the motorist hit the victim’s vehicle, her car was pushed into a fourth parked car. The motorist tried to remove the license plate from his vehicle but after…Read More
24-year-old Damian Toalombo of Allentown was killed early Saturday morning, just after midnight Friday, in Hilltown Township. According to police reports, a BMW, which was driving on the wrong side of the road crashed head-on into a Kia Sephia which was being driven by Toalombo. The driver of the BMW was identified as 26-year-old Noelle Theresa Chew and was charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence and other related offenses. The BMW driver sustained minor injuries. She “created a disturbance” in the ambulance after the crash and also refused treatment. Court records show that Chew pleaded guilty to…Read More