A New Jersey teen has pled guilty to charges related to underage drunk driving. According to the teen, he decided to drive after having several drinks at a friend’s party. He had been texting when he crossed the lane into oncoming traffic, resulting in a head-on collision. The other driver involved in the accident did not survive.
When authorities responded to the accident, they discovered that the teen had a blood alcohol content of .067. Under New Jersey law, drivers who are younger than 21 are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system when driving.
The teen has pled guilty to death by auto as well as other offenses. The prosecution recommends a five-year prison sentence. The teen will be required to serve more than four years of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. After the hearing, the teen was taken into custody. According to the teen’s lawyer, the young man has accepted responsibility for his bad decisions. The victim’s son, however, is not happy with the sentence and believes the teen deserves more jail time.
Drivers who are arrested for drunk driving still have rights that need to be protected. By pleading guilty, however, the young teen has lost the ability to challenge the charges that the prosecution has against him. An attorney may be able to fight the charges to reduce any consequences.
An experienced New Jersey attorney may be able help their client access the strengths and weaknesses of their case in order to help minimize any consequences regarding the incident. The attorney may be able to discover evidence for illegal vehicle stops or arrests, improper administrations of field sobriety tests, breathalyzer tests and Alcotests.