What do you need to know if you are facing a DUI in New Jersey in 2025? The short answer is, “A lot.” Drunk driving cases are complicated, and there are multiple risks involved. To protect yourself, you need to ensure that you are making informed decisions, and you need to rely on the advice of an experienced New Jersey DUI lawyer who can help you avoid unnecessary consequences.
10 Important Facts to Know After a DUI Arrest in New Jersey
Of course, simply telling you that you need to know “a lot” isn’t helpful. With this in mind, here are 10 important facts to know after a DUI arrest in New Jersey:
1. Prosecutors Can Secure a Conviction Based on Intoxication or Impairment
The first thing you need to know is that prosecutors in New Jersey can secure a DUI conviction based on either intoxication or impairment. They do not need to prove both.
What does this mean for your case? This has two important implications. First, it means that prosecutors can secure a DUI conviction based solely on your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). If your BAC reading indicates that you were intoxicated behind the wheel, prosecutors do not need to prove that your driving abilities were impaired.
Second, it means that prosecutors can secure a conviction based on impairment without evidence of your BAC. If the arresting officer testifies that your speech was slurred and you failed the sobriety tests (FSTs), this type of evidence could be enough to result in a conviction even if you refused the breathalyzer.
2. New Jersey’s DUI Penalties Are Severe
The next thing you need to know is that New Jersey’s DUI penalties are severe. Regardless of your BAC or level of impairment, a conviction could lead to fines, loss of your driving privileges, jail time, and other penalties. When you hire a New Jersey DUI lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be able to explain the specific penalties you are facing in your case.
3. A DUI Conviction Can Have Other Serious Consequences, Too
Along with court-imposed penalties, a DUI conviction can have other serious consequences as well. These include increased auto insurance premiums and consequences for your career, among others. In many cases, the out-of-pocket costs of these additional consequences can far exceed the costs you are ordered to pay in court.
4. Plea Bargaining is Now an Option in New Jersey DUI Cases
New Jersey began allowing plea bargaining in DUI cases last year. Seeking a plea bargain provides the opportunity to resolve your case without a DUI conviction, even if you were drunk behind the wheel. However, accepting a plea bargain still has consequences—in most cases, you will need to plead guilty to reckless driving—so it is critical to make sure this is truly your best option under the circumstances at hand.
5. Even if You Were Driving Drunk, Seeking a Plea Bargain Might Not Be Your Best Option
While seeking a plea bargain is one option for resolving your case when you were drunk behind the wheel, it isn’t necessarily the only—or best—option you have available. Even in this scenario, there may be defenses that your New Jersey DUI lawyer can assert on your behalf. These include defenses based on your constitutional rights and the prosecution’s burden of proof, among others.
6. You Need to Ensure that You Are Making Informed Decisions
From deciding whether to seek a plea deal to deciding which defenses you should assert in court, you need to ensure that you are making informed decisions about all aspects of your New Jersey DUI cases. Of course, this is easier said than done, and this is one of the many reasons why it is important to have an experienced lawyer on your side.
7. You Need to Be Careful to Avoid Potentially Costly Mistakes
When you are facing a DUI charge in New Jersey, even simple mistakes can prove incredibly costly. There are several critical mistakes you need to avoid both during and after your DUI arrest. If you have already made any of these mistakes, this is something that you will want to discuss with your lawyer during your initial consultation.
8. Drunk Driving Arrests Don’t Just Lead to DUI Charges
As you prepare to fight your DUI charge, it is important to make sure you know whether you need to fight any other charges as well. Open container violations, implied consent violations, and “assault by auto” charges can all add to the challenges (and risks) you are facing in court.
9. Regardless of the Facts of Your Case, It is Up to You to Protect Yourself
Even if you are innocent of the charge (or charges) against you, it is up to you to protect yourself. Regardless of the facts of your case, you need to do everything you can to avoid a conviction, and this starts with hiring an experienced New Jersey DUI lawyer to represent you.
10. There Are Many Ways an Experienced New Jersey DUI Lawyer Can Help You
From helping you make informed decisions to representing you during plea negotiations or at trial, there are many ways an experienced New Jersey DUI lawyer can help you. With everything you have at stake, it is well worth hiring a lawyer who can use his or her experience to protect your finances, your freedom, and your future by all means available.
Contact Us to Speak with an Experienced New Jersey DUI Lawyer in Confidence
If you are facing a DUI charge in New Jersey in 2025, we encourage you to contact us promptly for more information. Our lawyers have centuries of combined experience defending clients after DUI arrests in New Jersey, and we handle drunk driving cases statewide. To speak with an experienced New Jersey DUI lawyer at Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. in confidence as soon as possible, call 877-435-6371 or request a confidential consultation online today.
