In what could be referred to as a case of "bussing while intoxicated," a Garden State school bus driver not long ago pleaded guilty to operating a school bus loaded with children while she was apparently under the influence of alcohol back in November of 2011. As many people can surely understand, the impact of a DWI conviction on most any professional driver, especially one who transports children, can be serious and long-lasting.
As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, my legal team is well versed in the statutes pertaining to our state's DWI and drug DUI laws. For most people who have been charged with driving while intoxicated by alcohol or impaired by doctor-prescribed medications (even illegal substances like cocaine or marijuana), a first-time DWI-DUI offense can be an eye-opening experience. With monetary penalties approaching thousands of dollars (including auto insurance premium assessments) and potential jail time (depending on the specific circumstances), there is little sense in tempting fate by going it alone in a courtroom.
Of course, finding a qualified DWI lawyer can be one of the most important steps one can take following a drunken driving arrest. And, taking advantage of a free initial consultation can be invaluable for almost anyone facing a serious alcohol or drug-related traffic violation. In our estimation, it is better to understand your rights going forward than to leave things more to chance by confronting the arresting officer and a skilled municipal prosecutor in a court of law.
New Jersey Drunk Driving News: Burlington County School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to DWI, Child Endangerment
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You should join DFW NORML
I went to my first DFW NORML meeting last night and came away very impressed. Really good speakers and a lot of very friendly and enthusiastic supporters. Over 120 people showed up on a holiday weekend, which is something I wouldn’t have thought possible 10 years ago. When I first started blogging legalization and reform […]
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WI - Bond set for two men (TJ R. Hunt & Justin S. Baker) in arson case - Setting fire to the home of a registered sex offender
Original Article
11/08/2013
By Samantha Hernandez
Two Door County men could face charges of arson as a party to a crime and first-degree reckless endangerment for allegedly setting fire to the home of a registered sex offender in the town of Gardner Saturday.
- What about attempted murder?
TJ R. Hunt, 24, and Justin S. Baker, 25, both of Gardner, appeared via video feed Monday in Door County Circuit Court, Branch 2. Hunt could also face additional charges of operating a motor vehicle while...
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Lake County Criminal Defense Lawyer :: 'Operation Dog Pound' Nets 38 Suspected Crack Cocaine Dealers across Lake County
The Lake County Sheriff's Office arrested nearly 40 suspected dealers and suppliers across the county last month in a drug bust dubbed "Operation Dog Pound."
Tips from everyday citizens apparently started the initial investigation.
According to Lake County detectives, 38 men and women were arrested for their involvement in the supply and sale of cocaine and crack.
Many of the complaints came from residents in the Umatilla area about the sale of cocaine taking place in their neighborhoods, according to investigators.
The investigation began in October and ended in early November.
More than $100,000 worth of cocaine was allegedly taken off the streets, most of it in Umatilla, Mount Dora and Eustis.
According to detectives, no drug network was uncovered, however a few key suppliers were found to have sold powdered cocaine to street level dealers who made it into crack.
Authorities believe more arrests will follow.
Drug charges are aggressively pursued on both the state and federal level and carry very harsh penalties, including mandatory minimum sentences that involve prison time. These charges should never be taken lightly as the sale and delivery of drugs in Florida is a second-degree felony. The sale and delivery of cocaine carries very heavy penalties. However, there are valid defenses to these types of drug charges. No matter the circumstances surrounding your arrest, you may be able to beat your case. A Lake County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can make sure your rights are protected and that you fully understand all of your legal options.
Just because you were arrested for a serious drug crime does not mean you have been convicted of the offense. It is never in your best interest to just plead guilty before speaking to a criminal defense attorney. Many people arrested for drug crimes fail to take action by hiring a lawyer and end up missing out on opportunities to have their case dismissed, reduced or even dropped. Think twice before pleading guilty or accepting a plea deal with prosecutors for probation. A conviction on your permanent record can cause many problems in both your personal and professional life down the road.
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If you are a family member of a registered "sex offender", here is a chance to speak out
The following was posted on Facebook and shared here.
Dear family member of a sex offender,
I’m a journalist who is working on a larger project,
I’m working on a book proposal whose working title is Families in the Cross-Hairs: Collateral Damage from America’s 20-Year War on Sex Offenders. It’s designed to tell the stories of sex offenders’ loved ones (wives, sons, daughters, parents)—the discrimination, abuse, and worse that many have suffered as a result of living with someone on the sex...
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Miss
I have been working as a C.N.A for 12 years . I worked in Pensacola FL. Indianapolis,IN and Houston ,TX .I never been changed for mistreatment or Body Harm to anyone. Sometimes that’s rare. But I moved to Houston,TX with my [...]The post Miss appeared first on Free Criminal Record Clearing and Expungement Information.
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Marijuana Farms are a Big Business in Texas: Texans Can Make Big Pot Profits Unless They’re Caught and Arrested – Risk versus Reward
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney General for the Northern District of Texas announced that six Dallas residents had been sentenced by a federal judge on various charges stemming from their pot farm business: in their case, a hydroponic marijuana growing operation that they had been running since sometime in 2004 out of a bunch of...The post Marijuana Farms are a Big Business in Texas: Texans Can Make Big Pot Profits Unless They’re Caught and Arrested – Risk versus Reward appeared first on Dallas Justice.
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Have You Seen Molly?
Have you ever heard young people asking “Have you seen Molly?” Molly is a street name for MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and it possessing it is a very serious offense.
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Can I request my driving record online?
Yes. You can request your complete driving record (ADR) online. The cost is $13.00 - but you can get the record immediately. For your DUI alcohol/drug evaluation a complete record is required. See link. request driving record
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Transcript from argument on protest on roadway on military base
The transcript in United States v. Apel is here.
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Sandy Hook 911 Tapes Released
The Hartford Courant is excerpting the just-released 911 tapes from the Sandy Hook school shooting. You can listen to them here.
Also at the Courant: A Chilling Window into Adam Lanza's World. Photos from his bedroom and computer room are...
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Tune-In: CNN Films Premieres An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story
On Thursday, December 5 at 9 p.m., CNN Films will premiere An Unreal Dream:The Michael Morton Story, a documentary about Texas exoneree Michael Morton. Morton spent 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Christine, before he was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2011. Last month, former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson entered a plea to criminal contempt for deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence pointing to Morton's innocence before he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The film details how, with help from the Innocence Project, Morton proved his innocence and started his life over. The DNA evidence that cleared Morton implicated another man, Mark Norwood, who had been tied to a similar Texas murder that occurred two years after the murder of Morton's wife. Norwood has since been convicted of Christine Morton's murder. More from CNN. Read about Morton's case.
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Single vehicle injury crash near Arimo
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer
DO NOT REPLY
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Idaho State Police
District 5 5205 South 5th Ave.
Pocatello, Idaho 83204-2299
(208) 236-6466 FAX: (208) 236-6068
For Immediate Release: December 4, 2013 1:05 pm
Please direct questions to the District Office
On December 4, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., Idaho State Police investigated a single vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 15 at milepost 39, near Arimo.
Brandon Jones, 26, of Katy, Texas, was travelling northbound in a 2009 Toyota Corolla. Jones drove into the median, overcorrected and drove off the right shoulder. The vehicle rolled and came to rest in a ditch.
Jones was transported via ground ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. Jones was wearing a seatbelt and airbags deployed.
The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
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Coming soon to Florida? Legalized Marijuana show sharp increases in DUI arrests
An article in the CSM website shines some new light on marijuana legalization and DUI charges. Driving Under the Influence is not just for alcohol as 1000s are finding out the hardway...
In the state of Washington, marijuana has been legal since January of 2013. A new report shows an alarming rise in drug-based DUIs since then. In the first six months of 2013 745 people stopped for DUI in Washington have tested positive for marijuana. This is a marked increase from the average of the last two years, where around 1000 people per year had the drug in their system when arrested. There is aslo the possibility that these DUI drivers are driving more stoned then before the drug legalization. Over half of the people pulled over had more then the legal limit of 5 or more nanograms of THC in their blood.
State officials and law enforcement fear that this may be just the beginning. The increase in "drug driving" arrests took place despite the fact that recreational-use pot shops are not scheduled to be open until next year.
Washington D.C. and 20 states have allowed medical marijuana use and Colorado and Washington state allow recreational pot use. There are several more states (including Florida) that are debating whether or not to either decriminalize marijuana or allow it for medicinal purposes.
Supporters of the drug argue that arrests are not that much higher then before the new laws went into affect. Opponents of marijuana laws think otherwise.
Kevin Sabet, co-founder of Project Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group that opposes widespread drug use, said the results are not surprising.
"People are getting the impression that marijuana use is okay," he said. "Even before one recreational store opens in Washington, we are already seeing the effects (of marijuana)."
A local criminal defense lawyer was asked to comment and blamed the state's "stoned driving" standard, saying it encourages police to pull over more drivers suspected of marijuana use.LEGAL ANALYSIS
In Florida DUIs are covered under a specific statute. As mentioned on this blog before, the stereotype of the drunk weaving all over the road is not always accurate. A DUI conviction can be had by alcohol and/or any substance controlled by chapter 893 (the drug statute). This means that marijuana, cocaine, molly, oxycodone or any one of 1000s of drugs could affect one's ability to drive a vehicle and potentially earn them a DUI.
What about Florida? If other states are a guide, it seems logical to guess that a relaxation of certain drug laws may bring with it an increase in other crime such as DUIs or other matters. Is the trade off worth it? That will be up to the voters and Tallahassee to decide.
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Crofts on Monstrous Wickedness
Penny Crofts (University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Law ) has posted Monstrous Wickedness and the Judgment of Knight (Griffith Law Review, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2012) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: In February 2000, Katherine Mary Knight killed,...
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CNN Documentary on Michael Morton Thursday Night
"‘An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story’ Premieres as CNN FILMS Broadcast on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 9:00 PM (ET)/8:00 PM (CT)," is the announcement from CNN. Here's the beginning: Academy award-nominated filmmaker Al Reinert (Apollo 13 and For All...
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An Alternate Way to Deal with Drug-Affected Babies in Maine
There have been a lot of articles recently telling of Maine governor Paul LePage's efforts to increase awareness of the growing drug problem in Maine. LePage recently said that there will be approximately 800 babies born drug affected or drug dependent in Maine by the end of 2013. He has used this data to emphasize the need for more federal funding for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).
Recent federal budget cuts have meant that the MDEA will not be getting the funding that it has in the past. The governor has hosted several press conferences and meetings with police throughout Maine explaining just how serious the drug problem is in the state and how more funding is needed to fight the problem.
A recent article in the Morning Sentinel explains why a different approach is needed. While the author admits that something needs to be done to stop drug abuse, especially when it comes to drug-affected babies in the state, she believes that “early intervention and compassionate treatment” are the best ways to fight the growing drug problem.
The author is a manager for the Maine Mother's Network which is described as a program of crisis counseling centers with statewide partners. She feels that drug addicted women fear that they face the social stigma of being failures or having low morals. This makes them less likely to seek help, especially if they become pregnant. In addition to the fear that they will be looked at as a bad parent, many women fear the risk of being incarcerated or losing their child if they come forward when pregnant. This not only prevents the women from seeking proper prenatal care, it also means that they will continue to use drugs with during the pregnancy. She writes:
The shame of being labeled failures drives many away from treatment. The cultural depiction of addicts as immoral, broken and “less than” does a disservice not only to these suffering human beings who need help, but also to our culture, which struggles to address the growing problem of substance abuse and addiction.
Instead of spending money on more drug enforcement, it is suggested that more drug outreach programs be created allowing addicts and perspectives mothers to be able to have access to a number of counseling options. The author goes on to say that there is no one way to beat addiction, by providing options such as outpatient counseling, residential recovery programs, and12 step programs an addict can be able to choose how they recover. Removing the stigma of drug abuse and understanding that it is a disease that needs to be treated is the best way to get addicts to come forward and get the help that they need.
This is an interesting approach to dealing with drug crimes, especially stopping the trend of drug-affected babies. Instead of trying to catch all drug dealers and stopping the crimes, it may be more effective to treat addicts so that they can get off of drugs and contribute to society. If there are less people addicted to drugs, there will be less demand for drugs. This tactic may not get the support of the Governor or federal funding, but outreach programs and non-profits can work to help unborn babies on their own with the support of citizens.
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Sitting in Legal Purgatory
That's the title of Maurice Chammah's latest article at Texas Monthly. It's subtitled, "Jerry Duane Martin killed a correctional officer as he tried breaking out of prison, and tonight he will be executed. But the man who tried escaping with...
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Attorney Gigstad Joins The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Our law firm's founder, Robert "Chris" Gigstad, has recently reached an extraordinary professional milestone--he has become a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Not just anyone can become a member of this prominent group; you have to be invited into the organization. The National Trial Lawyers only chooses trial attorneys who have proven themselves as having premier qualifications in various areas of their legal careers. Some of these areas include their influence, leadership, stature, reputation and public profile, according to
The National Trial Lawyers.
In the selection of its members, The National Trial Lawyers chooses the leading 100 civil plaintiff and criminal defense from every state and from certain regions that have high populations. Peer nominations and third-party research are both used to reach the final membership selections. Members of The National Trial Lawyers get to benefit from a wealth of resources, such as opportunities for Continuing Legal Education (CLE), advocacy training and networking. Attorney Gigstad is honored to have been given the opportunity to be a part of this exclusive professional organization.
Attorney Gigstad, who is a highly skilled Overland criminal defense lawyer, is fully committed to ensuring that his clients are being treated fairly during their criminal proceedings. He works diligently to reach the best outcomes possible in the criminal cases he handles. While the attorney is often referred to as "The KC DUI Guy," he is also able to provide legal representation in many other types of criminal matters. Our firm, Gigstad Law Office, LLC, serves individuals in Overland Park, as well as in many surrounding Kansas communities. To learn more about how we can help you challenge your criminal charges,
contact our firm. We can sign you up for a free initial
case evaluation!
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UPI: Anti-surveillance groups seek to use state laws to block NSA
UPI: Anti-surveillance groups seek to use state laws to block NSA:
[...] Read more!
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