A Montville New Jersey cop was found not guilty on drunk driving charges after prosecutors failed to prove that he actually operated a car while intoxicated.
The suspect is a police officer with the Montville Township Police Department. He was placed under arrest in October 2016 on suspicion of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). The arresting officer allegedly spotted the suspect standing next to the driver’s side door of his unmarked police patrol vehicle. The car was in the parking lot of the police department.
The suspect was placed under arrest and cited for multiple traffic offenses, including drunk driving and careless driving.
The case was eventually moved from Montville to Morris Plains because of a conflict of interest: the suspect is employed as a police officer in Montville, New Jersey.
Although prosecutors pursued a conviction in Morris Plains Municipal Court, the charges were ultimately dismissed because prosecutors could not establish that the suspect operated the motor vehicle.
A conviction on the DWI charges would likely have resulted in significant penalties, including license suspension.
Despite the dismissal, however, the suspect still faces discipline by the Montville Police Department because allegedly committed the DWI offense while he was on duty.
For additional information about this case, see the DailyRecord.com article, “Montville Officer Accused of On-Duty DWI Found Not Guilty.”