New Jersey Criminal Lawyers Blog

Highlands is a beachfront borough in Monmouth County directly bordered by both Atlantic Highlands and Middletown. It has a population of about 5,000 and is directly accessible by Route 35, is close to the New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast line train, and also offers ferry service through Sea Streak, which travels from Highlands to New York City frequently throughout the day. Being on the Jersey Shore and having so many popular restaurants and bars, including Clam Hut & Bar Restaurant and Claddagh, Highlands Borough generally experiences a significant increase in activity during the summer months. Wishing to preserve its quiet and peaceful nature, local law enforcement generally starts cracking down as soon as the warm weather approaches, increasing the amount of disorderly persons offenses in Highlands, motor vehicle moving violations in Highlands, and DWI charges in Highlands.

Disorderly persons offenses refer to a broad category of offenses with some of the more popularly issued being disorderly conduct (N.J.S. 2C:33-2), trespass (N.J.S. 2C: 18-3), criminal mischief (N.J.S. 2C: 17-3), simple assault (N.J.S. 2C: 12-1), use or possession of a fake ID (N.J.S. 2C: 28-7), underage drinking (N.J.S. 2C:33-15), possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia (N.J.S. 2C:35-10 and N.J.S. 2C: 36-2), and resisting arrest (N.J.S. 2C:29-2). Being convicted of one of these charges can have serious consequences including jail time, community service, and significant monetary fines. Last year alone, there were 110 disorderly persons offenses in Highlands.

Even more common are motor vehicle violations in Highlands. Motor vehicle moving violations often charged in Highlands include speeding, failure to stop, and careless driving. Even though these are not the most severe of moving violations, penalties may include the assessment of motor vehicle points leading to increased insurance premiums and significant fines.

The more serious moving violations are the alcohol related New Jersey drunk driving offenses of DWI, DUI, and Refusal. Last year alone, there were 485 moving violations in Highlands and 126 DWIs in Highlands. Being convicted of a DWI in Highlands can have extremely severe and long lasting implications. For a first time offender convicted of a DWI, the penalties may include loss of your driver's license for up to a year, monetary fines over $500.00, jail time, the mandatory enrollment into an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center program, and the installation of an ignition interlock device into your vehicle.