Penalties In New Jersey When You Receive A DUI Out Of State During Vacation

Vacations are great, but for one East Orange man, a family adventure to Florida took a wrong turn when he was pulled over for driving without his headlights overnight in mid-October.

Marion County Deputy Gary Miller pulled Joseph T. Dent over and noticed a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle, which also contained Dent’s wife and 10-month-old child.

Dent said he hadn’t been drinking, but had taken a Xanax earlier in the evening.

Miller asked Dent to perform a series of field sobriety tests, during which Dent took an incorrect number of steps, failed to touch his finger to his nose, and recited the alphabet incorrectly.

He was taken to the Marion County Jail, while his family was taken to a local motel.

Assuming he’s convicted, what happens to Dent, and other New Jersey drivers dealing with out-of-state drunk driving charges?

Well, in most cases, penalties like a license suspension will carry over to New Jersey.

An interstate compact that most states are party to gives local authorities in the jurisdiction where you’re convicted the ability to notify New Jersey’s motor vehicle commission of a DUI conviction, and the MVC will notify you in writing that your New Jersey driver’s license is suspended.

There are sometimes options to appeal the decision, but it’s rare to succeed in such an action on your own.

An experienced lawyer can make a big difference in how the state manages a second-jurisdiction DUI conviction.

To get the help you need, call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer.