CNJ+ March 2024

Dr. Wayne A. Aldredge Advanced Treatment of Gum Disease and Loose or Missing Teeth While many parents see Easter as a sort of second Christmas as far as gifts go, I take the opposite tack and keep it simple, sticking with use ful and/or consumable gifts as opposed to those that create more clut ter (such as toys, stuffed animals, bunny-themed trinkets, or other dust collectors). Granted, my daughter is 15 and I don’t feel the pressure to go overboard, but my take on filling her Easter basket has always been including just a few small things that suit her interests, even when she was a wee tyke. That being said, here are some fun ideas that can easily be adapted for each age group — and no, I’m not suggesting that you put everything on this list in your children’s baskets. Pick and choose a few of your faves and keep the expectations low for the gift-giving aspect of this holiday. (If you’re wondering, I’ll be putting some candy, a gift card to her favorite boba tea place, and some cash in her Easter basket.) • For the kid with a sweet tooth: chocolate or candy (chocolate bunnies, Reese’s eggs, fruit snacks, or my personal favorite, Cadbury creme eggs) • For those who are a bit “salty”: individual bags of chips, popcorn, pistachios, crackers • For the kid who can’t wait to hit the beach this summer: goggles, a beach towel, sunglasses, sunscreen, diving rings, a sun hat • For the teen who loves eating out: a gift card to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, McDon ald’s, a boba tea shop • For the Scrooge McDuck in the family: a golden egg with cash • For the über-competitive: a fun, simple game that the whole family can play to gether (Bananagrams, Uno, Old Maid, Exploding Kittens) • For the tween who loves to indulge: self-care items (body spray, face masks, trav el-size lotion, chapstick, small candle) • For the burgeoning artist or daydreamer: a notebook and a new pen • For the bookworm: a favorite book from a series 999 Palmer Ave Suite 1 Holmdel, NJ 07733 www.isaveteeth.com Call Today for a Consultation! 732-671-7100 I CAN SAVE YOUR TEETH A Clutter-free Twist on Easter Baskets By Liz Clearman Dr. Wayne A. Aldredge is a Board Certified Periodontal Specialist Periodontics & Implant Dentistry Board Certified * Comfort Focused * Sedation Available Dental Implants (All-on-4® ) One-Visit Gum Correction (Pinhole®) Advanced Laser Treatment (LANAP®) Gum and Bone Restoration Second Opinions

Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney Member of New Jersey and New York Bars Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney Member of New Jersey and New York Bars JOHN T. BAZZURRO, Esq. David P. Levine, Esq. Of Counsel to the Firm Michael B. Shaw, Esq., Associate Attorney 200 Meco Drive, Millstone Twp., NJ jtbazzurro@bazzurrolaw.com • BAZZURROLAW.COM Accordingly, please feel free to contact us to discuss your individual situation to determine whether or not legal representation is required. JOHN T. BAZZURRO, Esq. JARED SPARNROFT, Esq. 200 Meco Drive, Millstone Twp., NJ jtbazzurro@bazzurrolaw.com • BAZZURROLAW.COM WHAT DOES NEW DWI STATUTE MEAN TO YOU? BY JOHN BAZZURRO A new driving while intoxicated (DWI) statute went into effect in the State of New Jersey on December 1, 2019. The purposes of the changes to the prior statute are mainly focused on enforcing compliance in preventing convicted drivers from repeatedly driving under the influence and, further, to allow convicted drivers to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. The highlights of the statute will be outlined below. It should be noted that these changes will automatically expire at the end of five years unless affirmatively renewed by New Jersey’s Legislature. The primary change to the DWI statute allows for the installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) (a device that will prevent a motor vehicle from starting or being operated if the operator’s blood alcohol content exceeds a predetermined level when the operator blows into the device) for all first time DWI offenders. The installation of such an IDD would be instead of requiring a mandatory suspension of an offender’s driving privileges for a period of time between three and 12 months which was dependent upon the offender’s blood alcohol content. The time periods for which the IID must be installed in the offender’s vehicle will depend upon the offender’s blood alcohol level at the time he was arrested. Importantly, the offender must pay for the installation of the IID upon his or her vehicle or vehicles and must pay monthly fees associated with the maintenance of the same. In addition to changes to the statute for first time DWI offenders, the statute also reduces the penalties for second and third time DWI offenders. For a second DWI, the mandatory drivers’ license suspension was reduced from two years to a discretionary period of one to two years. However, this would include the installation of an IID for a period of between two and four years after the person’s suspension is lifted. For a third time offender, the mandatory drivers’ license suspension was reduced from a mandatory 10 year suspension under the old statute to a discretionary term of between eight years and 10 years also with the mandatory installation of an IID for between two and four years after the suspension is lifted. It would appear that the statute’s mandate of an IID on any vehicle or vehicles registered to the convicted driver was designed to prevent that person from operating their vehicle if they are under the influence of alcohol. It was found that a percentage of individuals who were suspended for DWI continued to operate their vehicles while still suspended and, oftentimes, while driving under the influence. The IID prevents a person from operating their vehicle while under the influence but also allows them to operate their vehicle in order to go back and forth to work, etc. when they are not under the influence. For those individuals who do not own or lease a vehicle, the statute requires a suspension of that individual’s driving privileges for the period of time equivalent to the time that an IID would have otherwise been installed. In the event such person purchases, leases, registers or identifies a vehicle which he or she will be principally operating, such person must immediately notify the court and install an IID on that vehicle. As with any new statute, there are many unknowns as to how the statute will be applied in the real world and how the courts will be interpreting the new language. As such, it is important to contact an attorney well-versed in DWI law should you be charged with DWI. DO YOU NEED A LAWYER IN MUNICIPAL COURT? BY JOHN BAZZURRO As indicated on our website, there are numerous charges that are heard in the Municipal Courts in the State of New Jersey. These range from low level motor vehicle violations such as going through a stop sign, careless driving, failure to maintain your lane and other charges that generally carry very low fines and two or less motor vehicle points. If you have been charged with any motor vehicle violation that carries more than two motor vehicle points upon a conviction, we suggest that you obtain the advice of counsel before going to court. The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with some information as to whether or not they need legal representation in Municipal Court on a low-level motor vehicle violation that carries two or less motor vehicle points. As most citizens of New Jersey know, municipal prosecutors will, generally, as a matter of course offer a “no point” or “zero point” violation as part of a plea bargain if you are charged with one of these low-level motor vehicle violations. The monetary cost of these “no point” or “zero point” violations are rather excessive in that you are required to pay a $250.00 surcharge for this “privilege.” The statute which provides this “no point” plea is called the unsafe driving statute. The basic theory in accepting a “no point” or “zero point” plea bargain is to potentially avoid motor vehicle points on your license in order to keep your auto insurance premiums lower and, potentially, to avoid the suspension of your driving privileges where you are in danger of accumulating 12 motor vehicle points which will result in a temporary suspension of driving privileges. However, it should be pointed out that there are a number of situations in which your acceptance of such a “no point” or “zero point” plea bargain may adversely affect your rights without your knowledge. One such situation is where you have already previously pled guilty to unsafe driving on more than one occasion. Your third guilty plea to unsafe driving within a certain period of time will subject you to four motor vehicle points when you may be under the mistaken belief that you will not be receiving any motor vehicle points. Another such situation where you potentially will need legal representation is where the low-level motor vehicle violation is the result of a motor vehicle accident. The bottom line is that, regardless of what type of motor vehicle violation you are charged with, you should seek the advice of an attorney before appearing in Municipal Court by yourself and entering into a plea bargain which may subject you to other legal ramifications of which you were not aware. Typically, when we receive a call for a motor vehicle violation, we initially attempt to obtain as much information as possible from the potential client to determine whether or not they will require legal representation given their individual circumstances.

Large Firm Representation With Personal Attention

AREAS OF PRACTICE: • Municipal Court Practice, Including Defense of DWI, Traffic Tickets and Non-Indictable Offenses • Workers Compensation

• Personal Injury • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Nursing Home Neglect • Wills

• General Civil Litigation • Employment Law • Residential and Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney Member of New Jersey and New York Bars Jared Sparnroft, Esq. 200 Meco Drive, Millstone Twp., NJ Email: jtbazzurro@bazzurrolaw.com 732-410-5350 • www.bazzurrolaw.com

26 CNJ+ | FORMERLY THE MILLSTONE TIMES 28 CNJ+ | FORMERLY THE MILLSTONE TIMES

MARCH 2024 MAY 2023