State v. Pinter
My client, Matt Pinter, was stopped by an East Brunswick police officer on his way home from a local bar. The issue on appeal was whether the East Brunswick police officer had probable cause to stop my client. A probable cause hearing was held at the East Brunswick municipal Court before Judge Christine Heitmann.
During the hearing but more particularly during cross-examination, the East Brunswick officer did equivocate and admit that Mr. Pinter was not necessarily recklessly driving or delaying traffic. The police officer further admitted on cross-examination that he was unaware of the paragraph in New Jersey’s speeding law (39:4-98) that a motorist is required to reduce his/her speed in inclement weather.
Judge Christine Heitmann opined that the officer had probable cause based on the legal doctrine known as Community caretaking exception to the warrant requirement. The municipal court judge felt that even if a moving violation was not necessarily committed by Mr. Pinter the officer had the requisite probable cause to conduct a motor vehicle stop based the aforementioned doctrine.
Defendant Appealed to the Law Division then to the Appellate Division which affirmed the motor vehicle stop but all on different grounds. The Law Division Judge felt that there was a motor vehicle violation that was committed by Mr. Pinter however, the judge failed to specify what motor vehicle law had been breached. As opposed to the Appellate Division which relied on criminal law, as opposed to, motor vehicle law to uphold the stop. My opinion was that each Judge was anti-DWI because this particular defendant’s BAC level was particularly high-nearly three times the legal limit.
Dan T. Matrafajlo role in that particular New Jersey Supreme Court case was limited to drafting the briefs and pleadings because at that time he was not yet certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to practice law however, his efforts proved successful based on the fact that the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in his favor without even hearing conducting a formal hearing.
Frank P. Beninato, Jr was involved in some important Appellate Decisions. A decision to note is the Perreira opinion rendered by the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Dan T. Matrafajlo, Esq. is the Managing Member and Lead Partner at Beninato & Matrafajlo, Attorneys at Law, LLC, a New Jersey-based personal injury law firm with offices in Elizabeth and East Brunswick. With over two decades of experience representing clients in complex matters—including motor vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death cases—he has recovered over $100 million on behalf of his clients and is known for securing significant results. He has also helped shape New Jersey personal injury law through notable Appellate Division decisions such as Hardison v. King and Frenklakh v. Lojek, with his litigation work featured in the New Jersey Law Journal, underscoring his authority in the field.
Mr. Matrafajlo was recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Stars honoree from 2012 to 2017 and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum—an honor reserved for attorneys who have achieved multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Combining deep legal expertise with a client-focused approach, he provides strategic, results-driven representation while guiding clients through every stage of the legal process. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York.
