April 3, 2022
If the police suspect that you are driving while intoxicated (DWI) by drugs, you may be evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and charged with DWI based on that evaluation. If this happens, contact New Jersey DWI defense attorney Steven W. Hernandez immediately.
Anyone in New Jersey who has been arrested for driving while intoxicated must be advised and represented by an attorney who has extensive knowledge of DWI law and substantial experience representing those who are accused of DWI.
If you’ve been charged with DWI, why should you choose attorney Steven W. Hernandez? Because he has that DWI knowledge and legal experience. He has taken a DRE overview course, and he knows that a DRE’s evaluation of a driver may be incorrect for a number of reasons.
DREs are police officers who have been trained to identify motorists who are impaired by drugs. The DRE training program is a joint effort of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Certified DREs are trained for 72 hours in the classroom and for 40 to 60 hours in the field. DREs examine and diagnose motorists who are suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. A DRE conducts a 12-step evaluation of a DWI suspect.
On the basis of a DRE’s evaluation, a driver may be formally charged with drug-related DWI. In 2021, over four hundred certified DREs were working for law enforcement agencies in New Jersey.
Steven W. Hernandez is a criminal defense attorney, a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, and a highly sought-after teacher, trainer, and speaker. He is a Board-Certified DUI Attorney certified by the National College for DUI Defense, where he is also a faculty member.
Additionally, attorney Steven W. Hernandez is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Municipal Court Trial Lawyer, and he has completed a Drug Recognition Expert overview training course with more than 120 hours of forensic science related to blood and urine analysis.
With his training, attorney Steven W. Hernandez can assess the prosecution’s evidence in drug-related DWI cases and quickly find the weaknesses, flaws, and mistakes in the state’s case – flaws and mistakes that may benefit a DWI defendant.
In fact, attorney Steven W. Hernandez has extensive education and training in all aspects of DWI law. He’s a field sobriety test instructor and a certified operator of the Alcotest 7110 breathalyzer device. He brings his extensive background and experience to every DWI case, for every client.
If a police officer stops you while you’re driving in New Jersey, and if the officer suspects that you are driving while intoxicated, you may be asked to take a breathalyzer test and/or one or more field sobriety tests.
If the police officer finds no evidence that you’ve been drinking, but the officer believes that you are too impaired to drive safely, that officer may request the assistance of a DRE. A DRE will conduct a 12-step evaluation to determine if you are impaired by drugs, and if so, which drugs.
Be friendly and cooperative with the police, but insist on your rights. You could say something like, “I would prefer not to answer any questions until my attorney can be here.” Then say no more, but contact the Hernandez Law Firm at your first opportunity.
If you’ve been charged with drug-related DWI in New Jersey on the basis of a DRE’s evaluation, New Jersey DWI defense attorney Steven W. Hernandez may challenge the qualifications of the DRE to make what is essentially a medical diagnosis.
DREs are neither doctors nor scientists, and a DRE’s training is not scientifically reliable or valid. Attorney Steven W. Hernandez knows this and speaks with authority. He knows the mistakes that DREs make and how to challenge their testimony effectively.
He may also challenge breathalyzer and medical test results, the testimony of the arresting officer (if that officer was not the DRE), or the reason why the police stopped you in traffic. If the police violated your constitutional rights, in some cases, a DWI charge may be dropped.
At the Hernandez Law Firm, Steven W. Hernandez is joined by a support staff that works effectively as a team on each client’s behalf. Every client is treated with professional courtesy and personal respect.
Specialized training and Board Certification are important, but an attorney’s background and training alone can’t help you avoid a DWI conviction. You also need a defense attorney who is tenacious, effective, and committed to bringing your DWI case to its best possible outcome.
That attorney is Steven W. Hernandez. Along with the rest of the team at the Hernandez Law Firm, he will fight passionately and aggressively for the justice you need and deserve.
(732) 582-5076
