FEDERAL CRIMINAL LAWYERS

NJ Intoxication Offenses

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a drink or two every now and then. If you’re over the legal drinking age, which is usually 21 in most states, then it’s usually not a crime if you’re drunk as long as you’re not harming another person or committing an illegal offense in the process. If you take the act of being drunk to another level and involve other people or property, then you could be arrested and charged with one of the various NJ intoxication offenses. When meeting with an attorney, you’ll learn more about the possible consequences associated with your charges as they will usually vary based on your criminal background and the nature of the crime committed. Even if you receive a minimal sentence, the result could impact your job, family, and reputation.

Public Intoxication
This is one of the most common offenses associated with drinking. After a few drinks, you might think that you can take a walk through town, not realizing that you could cause quite a stir among people because you’ve been drinking. Keep in mind that you can be in public after drinking, but you can’t cause a commotion or commit illegal acts in public after drinking. If an officer sees that you’ve been drinking, you can’t really be arrested as long as you’re of the legal drinking age. If an officer sees that you’re a danger to yourself or those around you, then you could be arrested and charged with public intoxication.

Assault
If you’ve been drinking and get behind the wheel of a car and cause someone else to be injured, then you could be charged with intoxication assault. This charge is usually considered more severe than a typical DUI charge. The only thing that the prosecution would have to prove in this situation is that you were driving while you were impaired and that a victim was injured because of your actions.

Manslaughter Caused by Intoxication
This is a charge that is similar to intoxication assault, but the end result would be that the victim died from the injuries caused by your actions while drinking and driving. You don’t need to intend to kill the victim in order to be charged with the crime. If you have been charged with intoxication manslaughter, it’s important to seek legal representation as soon as possible so that an attorney can review the details of what happened. Your attorney can then work to put together a defense that could mean spending less time in jail, especially if you don’t have a criminal record.

DWI or DUI
These charges are often connected. Driving Under the Influence is usually set aside for drivers who have been drinking and are under the age of 21 compared to Driving While Intoxicated being reserved for those who have a blood alcohol content that is over the legal limit that is set forth by the state. An attorney can offer assistance as some of the tests associated with these charges can result from the equipment being flawed or the details of the test itself being flawed.

There are several other charges that you could receive if you’ve been drinking. Boating while intoxicated means that you’ve been drinking while operating a boat and cause an injury to another person. You could also be charged with this crime if you’re a passenger on a boat and cause a commotion that disrupts the peace. DWI with a child passenger and underage drinking are also charges that are common in NJ. Each charge associated with drinking could result in several years in prison depending on the outcome of your situation as well as fines that you would need to pay.