Legal Blog
Who Handles DWIs on Garden State Parkway in New Jersey?
Author Clark & Noonan, LLC
Posted June 16, 2017
Category DUI/DWI Defense
Wall New Jersey Criminal Defense Attorneys serving Monmouth County, Ocean County, Middlesex County and all surrounding NJ areas.
Posted: January 4, 2017
The Garden State Parkway is a long toll lane road that runs through New Jersey. The Parkway is patrolled by the New Jersey State Police, and the state police enforce all of the traffic laws on the Parkway including significant traffic offenses such as DWI. Many different towns in the state of New Jersey handle DWI arrests, which occur on the Garden State Parkway.
The Parkway is the longest highway in the state of New Jersey, stretching 172.4 miles. The road is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and has been in existence since 1947. One of the specific restrictions on the Parkway is that trucks are not permitted north of exit 105.
In New Jersey, there is no central municipal court that handles all of the offenses that happen on the Parkway. Therefore, if an individual is arrested for DWI on the Parkway, their case will proceed in the municipal court of the town, which the Parkway was located in at the time of the offense. The troopers will respond to the local municipal court for the matter to be heard.
Obviously, very similar legal issues exist in a DWI prosecution regardless of whether it occurs on a local road or on the Garden State Parkway. However, in almost all state police DWI prosecutions, some or all of the stops are captured on an in-car camera or what is commonly called an MVR. These video recordings may be helpful in exploring various legal defenses in a DWI, which may include the way in which certain field sobriety tests were administered. Determining if any legal defenses exist is clearly a careful factual analysis, which should be done by a qualified criminal law attorney or other expert.
If you or someone you know has been accused of DWI on the Garden State Parkway, call our New Jersey DWI defense attorneys day or night at 732-333-3011. Our attorneys handle DWI matters in the municipal courts throughout New Jersey and we offer a FREE consultation.