Around 2:53 AM on January 14, 2023, Patrolman Thomas Herd of the Sparta Township Police Department was driving on Route 15 Northbound. He noticed a 2016 Hyundai Elantra parked on the shoulder around the 10.5 mile marker, and the driver appeared to be vomiting on the side of the road, so he proceeded to initiate a traffic stop. Upon approaching the driver, she admitted to him that she had been drinking earlier that night, and Patrolman Herd noticed an open container of Truly in her vehicle. She would later admit to having been drinking at the Mason Street Grille in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. Based on his suspicion of intoxication, Patrolman Herd radioed for another officer to come to the scene before he would administer the field sobriety exercises. Patrolman Paul Wenzel, Patrolman Erick Finley, and Patrolwoman Alyse Brown all responded to the scene. The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and Patrolman Herd observed a lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes (6/6). The second exercise involved the Walk and Turn test, and Stephanie was unable to walk in a straight line or count her steps out loud. The final exercise involved the One Leg Stand test, and Stephanie was unable to maintain her balance or count in the correct sequence. Based on her admission to consuming alcohol and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Herd placed Stephanie under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed under arrest, Patrolwoman Brown searched her for contraband, and she was transported by Patrolman Herd to Sparta Township Police Headquarters. At Police HQ, Patrolman Herd read her the Standard Statement for Operations of a Motor Vehicle, and she agreed to take the breathalyzer test. The breathalyzer test results indicated a BAC of 0.15%, nearly double the legal limit. After Stephanie was processed, she was released to a responsible party after they signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. She was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence and careless driving --------------------------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Donations will be used to acquire more public footage related to law enforcement activities. Our content is educational and in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2001, c. 404). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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