New Jersey Criminal Lawyers Blog

Keyport is a borough of about 8,000 residents located in northeastern Monmouth County. It is bordered by Keansburg, Union Beach, Aberdeen and Hazlet and is accessible by Route 35, Route 36, and the Garden State Parkway. Being located on the Jersey Shore, Keyport normally experiences a great surge of activity as summer approaches and vacationers begin flocking towards the beach. While the beaches around Keyport do their fair share of drawing in crowds, other local attractions including Funtime America for the younger people, and watering holes such as McDonagh's Pub, Blue Rock Cafe, and Seven Days Bar and Grill for older crowds, also play a large role. As the summer crowds continue to grow, local law enforcement are given the task of making sure the peaceful and safe nature of Keyport is preserved and this is usually done through increasing the number of disorderly persons offenses, motor vehicle violations, and DWI charges.

Disorderly persons offenses refer to a broad category of offenses with the most common being disorderly conduct (N.J.S. 2C: 33-2), underage drinking (N.J.S. 2C: 33-15), use or possession of a fake ID (N.J.S. 2C: 21-2.1), assault (N.J.S. 2C: 12-1), possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia (N.J.S. 2C: 35-10 and N.J.S. 2C: 36-2), criminal mischief (N.J.S. 2C: 17-3), resisting arrest (N.J.S. 2C: 29-2), or trespassing (N.J.S. 2C: 18-3). Being convicted of one of these offenses can lead to significant monetary penalties, jail time, community service, and other serious penalties. Last year there were 126 disorderly persons offenses in Keyport.

Motor vehicle moving violations in Keyport are common and may refer to a number of different acts. Some of the most common motor vehicle violations in Keyport include speeding, failure to stop, failure to yield to a pedestrian, tailgating, and illegal turns. While these are often viewed as somewhat trivial offenses, penalties resulting from such may include the assessment of motor vehicle points leading to increased insurance premiums, significant monetary fines, loss of license and other penalties.

The more severe violations are those involving alcohol. When an individual is charged with a DWI, DUI, or Refusal, extremely severe consequences will follow a conviction. A first time offender faces repercussions including loss of license for up to a year, monetary fines up to $500.00, the installation of an ignition interlock device system into their vehicle, jail time, and enrollment into an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center program. Along with this, the individual will bear the stigma of having been convicted of such a serious offense, which may hinder their ability to secure employment throughout their lives. Last year, there were 765 moving violations in Keyport and 81 DWIs in Keyport.