Crime & Safety

Former East Windsor Deputy Mayor Daniels Pleads Guilty to DWI, Refusal to Submit Breath Samples

Judge orders him to pay $1,053 in fines and fees and suspends his license for 7 months.

Former East Windsor Deputy Mayor Walter T. Daniels Jr. appeared in Hightstown Municipal Court today, Wednesday, to plead guilty to driving while intoxicated and refusal to submit breath samples.

“Mr. Daniels, you’re telling me on March 1, 2011, within the jurisdiction of Hightstown Borough, you operated a vehicle while intoxicated and then did not take the Alco [breath] test, is that correct?” asked Judge James M. Newman.

“Yes, your honor,” said Daniels, standing alongside his attorney, Mark Shane of Edison-based Shane and White, LLC.

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As a penalty, Judge Newman imposed a fine of $614 for the DWI charge and $439 for the refusal charge. He also suspended Daniels’ driver’s license for 7 months, a combination of 3 months for the DWI and a simultaneous 7 months for the refusal.

Daniels must also pay an insurance surcharge of $1,000 per year for the next three years, pay a fee to have his license restored once the suspension is over, and pay for 12 hours of classes he must take at the Intoxicated Drivers’ Resource Center. Should the IDRC determine an underlying substance abuse problem and recommend after-care, Daniels will be required to follow that recommendation or have his license suspended indefinitely, the judge explained.

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Judge Newman acknowledged this was Daniels’ first offense, and said the penalties would steepen for each subsequent reoffense. Driving while his license is suspended will result in a minimum fine of $1,000, an additional license suspension of 1 to 2 years, and between 10 and 90 days in jail.

“Bottom line is, do not drink and drive, do not drive until you are allowed to do so,” Judge Newman said before taking Daniels’ license.

On March 1, Daniels was charged with DWI, refusal to submit breath samples, DWI within a school zone, reckless driving, careless driving and failure to maintain lane. But Judge Newman dismissed the latter four charges after Daniels pleaded guilty Wednesday evening to the first two violations.

On March 21, Hightstown released reports from its officers claiming to downgrade the charges against him and to call their superiors on his behalf after his March 1 arrest. Shortly after the reports were released, Daniels, a Democrat, from the East Windsor Township Council of which he had been a member for 15 consecutive years.

Daniels again declined to comment on the matter this evening, as he has since his arrest was made public.


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