On April 16, 2022 around 2:31 AM, Officer Joseph Clark with the Verona Police Department were dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Bloomfield Avenue involving a black 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2007 Honda Civic. As arrived on scene, Officer Clark noticed that the Jeep had struck the Honda Civic in the rear. He made contact with the driver of the Jeep, who was identified as Monica. Officer Heriberto Carattini also arrived on scene shortly afterwards and spoke with the occupants of the other vehicle. Monica told Officer Clark that she had just broken up with her girlfriend earlier that evening, and she admitted to consuming alcohol before operating a motor vehicle. As he was speaking with Monica, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed other signs of impairment. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Monica was escorted to the parking lot of a building nearby to perform field sobriety exercises. Officer Clark started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Clark observed the lack of smooth pursuit and distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Monica did not touch heel-to-toe on each step, failed to keep her arms at her sides, and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Monica failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while displaying a lack of balance. Based on the motor vehicle accident, the indicators of impairment, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Monica was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Officer Clark transported her to the Verona Police Department for further processing. Another officer stayed with the vehicle until it was towed for a mandatory 12-hour impound as required by John’s Law. At the Verona Police Department, Officer Clark read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she initially agreed to submit breath samples. Officer Carattini administered the Alcotest machine, but she failed to provide adequate breath samples despite multiple attempts. As a result, she was charged with refusing to submit breath samples. After she was processed, Monica was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Officer Clark issued her the following summonses: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, and reckless driving Court records indicate that on May 25, 2022, Monica was found guilty of operating under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test. She was required to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $923 in fines. The other citation was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. ------------------------------------------ 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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