New NJ DWI Ignition Interlock Bill…

Jan 30th, 2009 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, DUI-DWI-DAI (Drunk Driving)

A committee of the NJ legislature is working on a Bill that would require DWI ignition interlocks on nearly all convicted NJ DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) defendants’ vehicles. DWI ignition locks have been a mandatory part of DWI sentencing for repeat offenders in New Jersey for many years, but this new Bill would also make the ignition interlock mandatory for all first time DWI offenders whose blood-alcohol content registers .15 or higher.

The NJ legal blood-alcohol level is .08. If the bill becomes law, judges will be permitted to order ignition interlocks for first-time DWI offenders with a blood-alcohol level of .08 – .15. The new law would also lengthen the amount of time the ignition interlocks are required on vehicles.

This is another example of how the legislature keeps adding to the myriad of DUI-DWI penalties. When will the drunk driving penalties be considered cruel and unusual punishment?

Certainly if there is a very bad case, involving wrongful death or serious personal injury, the law should be harsh. But when the defendant is a first time DWI offender without any aggravating circumstances, the NJ DWI penalties should be relaxed.

Pennsylvania District Attorneys offer the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for first time DUI offenders. Perhaps NJ legislators should pass a similar type of NJ DWI law?