After you read the following NJ Criminal Statute (Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund) you may decide that you need the help of a lawyer, or need a legal interpretation of how this statute applies to your case. The firm of Villani & DeLuca has experienced criminal lawyers with over 20 years of experience, including a former municipal prosecutor. Call the number above for a free 24×7 phone consultation or read more about the drunk driving charge.
Upon a conviction of a violation of R.S.39:4-50 or section 2 of P.L.1981, c.512 (C.39:4-50.4a), the court shall collect from the defendant a surcharge of $100.00 in addition to and independently of any fine imposed on that defendant. The court shall forward the surcharge to the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles who shall deposit $95.00 of the surcharge into a “Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund” (hereinafter referred to as the “fund”). This fund shall be used to establish a Statewide drunk driving enforcement program to be supervised by the director. The remaining $5.00 of each surcharge shall be deposited by the director into a separate fund for administrative expenses.
A municipality shall be entitled to periodic grants from the “Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund” in amounts representing its proportionate contribution to the fund. A municipality shall be deemed to have contributed to the fund the portion of the surcharge allocated to the fund, collected pursuant to this section if the violation of R.S.39:4-50 or section 2 of P.L.1981, c.512 (C.39:4-50.4a) occurred within the municipality and the arrest resulting in conviction was made by the member of a municipal police force. The grants from the fund shall be used by the municipality to increase enforcement of R.S.39:4-50 by subsidizing additional law enforcement patrols and through other measures approved by the director. The Division of State Police, interstate law enforcement agencies and county law enforcement agencies shall be entitled to periodic grants from the fund in amounts representing their proportionate contribution to the fund. The Division of State Police or county or interstate law enforcement agency shall be in deemed to have contributed to the fund the portion of the surcharge allocated to the fund collected pursuant to this section if the arrest resulting in a conviction was made by a member of the Division of State Police or county or interstate law enforcement agency. The grants from the fund shall be used by the Division of State Police or county or interstate law enforcement agency to increase enforcement of R.S.39:4-50 by subsidizing additional law enforcement patrols and through other measures approved by the director.
The surcharge described herein shall not be considered a fine, penalty or forfeiture to be distributed pursuant to R.S.39:5-41.
The director shall promulgate rules and regulations in order to effectuate the purposes of this section.
L.1984,c.4,s.1; amended 1994,c.184,s.3.
Disclaimer: A copy of this statute has been provided for your information. This wording was current from the NJ website lis.njleg.state.nj.us as of August 2012.
