Driver with 78 license suspensions pleads guilty to 15th DWI, 2 more DWI charges still pending

Morristown, NJ

The man is 40 years old and has had his license suspended 78 times in the past 20 years. That's an average of 3.9 license suspensions per year. He has just pleaded guilty to his 15th DWI and still has two more DWI cases pending.

I admire the optimism of his lawyer, who states: "[He] will not be driving for a very long time."

On issues unrelated to the case, the lawyer also stated, "The Easter Bunny and Santa Claus do exist, Bigfoot is real, and Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone."

A 40-year-old man with 14 prior drunken driving convictions pleaded guilty today to his 15th, admitting he was plastered on beer when he struck a vehicle with a Chatham father and young daughter inside in April in Morris Township.
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Shaun Campbell pleaded guilty before state Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent Ahto in Morristown to one count of assault by auto on April 23, and to the motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license.

Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo said Campbell's blood-alcohol level was .288 percent, or more than three times the .08 percent level at which a motorist is deemed legally intoxicated in New Jersey.

The prosecutor's office is seeking the maximum sentence it can for Campbell, whose driving record also shows 78 revocations in about 20 years. Defense lawyer John Paul Velez said Campbell still has two DWI summonses pending in Pequannock and Wayne.

The state will seek 18 months imprisonment on the assault-by-auto charge, and consecutive terms of 180 days and 180 days on the motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated and driving while suspended. His driver's license would be revoked for a minimum of 10 years but Velez said that with other revocations banked, Campbell "will not be driving for a very long time.''

The judge revoked Campbell's $50,000 bail, which he has never been able to post, and he will remain in the county jail until his sentencing on Aug. 7.

''What did you drink?'' the judge asked Campbell, who was polite throughout the hearing.

''Beer. Quite a bit. Enough to not know what was going on,'' he replied.

“This defendant has pleaded guilty to the maximum time allowed under the law. We need to ensure that these cases are handled sternly to ensure, as best as is possible, the safety of the community from the dangers of drinking and driving. This is especially so with a person who has shown an utter disregard for the law, as this defendant has,” Robert A. Bianchi, Esq. said.

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