Fatal Drunk Driving Accident; Off-Duty Cop Gets Year in Jail
An off-duty Long Branch police detective pleaded guilty to strict liability vehicular homicide and DWI for fatally striking a 66-year-old Stanhope woman with his jeep as she was crossing the street on Ocean Boulevard. He is now considered to be the first defendant in New Jersey to be sentenced under the strict liability vehicular homicide statute that is considered a third-degree offense under the new rules that were just signed into law by Governor Chris Christie only two months prior to the drunk driving accident.
New Laws Created to Ensure Tougher Penalties
The new laws were created in order to ensure tougher prison sentences for any drunk drivers who are involved in deadly crashes. The offense can carry a sentencing range from five years in prison to no jail time at all, although the 364 day sentence ended up being the recommended jail time in the state’s plea deal in this instance. While the former detective was not taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs following his two-hour hearing before the Middlesex County Superior Court Judge his attorney still was not pleased with the sentence and was happy to learn that they have ten days to appeal the decision which is what they have planned at this point.
By pleading guilty to the crime he admitted he had a .08 blood-alcohol level when he fatally struck the woman although the test was taken two hours after the accident leading many to believe it may have been higher at the time of the crash.
Contact Our Experienced New Jersey Criminal Attorneys Today
Being involved in a tragic situation such as this can drastically affect your life, which is why having a qualified attorney who will fight for you in court can only benefit you in these stressful times. Contact attorney Jill R. Cohen by calling today or simply fill out the contact form on this page to set-up your initial consultation.
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