UPDATE #2:
Assemblyman Moriarty’s office has released the following statement via email regarding his arrest this afternoon:
This afternoon after spending over an hour at my local car dealership and heading to grab lunch, I was pulled over by a Washington Township Police Officer who claimed I had cut him off at an intersection. I disputed his assertion which led him to order me from my car, submit me to a field sobriety test and issue a summons for DUI. Let me be clear: I had consumed no alcoholic beverages, and this entire episode was an abuse of power.
The Officer that detained me, today, was previously fired from the Washington Township Police Department for allegedly being untruthful in an Internal Affairs Investigation. A court subsequently ordered his reinstatement.
My attorney intends to vigorously defend these allegations, which may include filing charges with Washington Township Police Department’s Internal Affairs.
Keep with Save Jersey as this story develops…
UPDATED — 8:55 P.M.
According to NJ.com, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) was allegedly arrested earlier today on suspicion of driving intoxicated.
He is a former consumer affairs reporter for Philadelphia’s KYW-CBS-3 for 17 years.
A little clarification on his sponsorship/support of such legislation:
- Assemblyman Moriarty has been a frequent sponsor of “bad driver” legislation in Trenton.
- For example, in April 2012, he co-sponsored legislation to penalize “road rage” in the Garden State (pdf). According to the Democrat release: “Previously, the only circumstances under which a person faced increased penalties for assault by auto was when the person was driving under the influence or refused to submit to a breath test. This law brings road rage violations that cause bodily harm to the same standards as those imposed for drunk driving.”
- He has also thrown his name behind tougher penalties for texting while driving which he analogized to drinking and driving in terms of seriousness (pdf): “We now have anecdotal evidence and more scientific studies that show that texting while driving is more dangerous than drinking while driving. […] It seems to me that we have to evolve here and recognize that this is much more dangerous.”
Hey, he's just doing a little field research confirming his assertions!!! Cut him a break!!
How many calls to George Norcross's cell phone to make this go away?
Paul as an elected official you know better than anyone that if you refuse a breathalyzer test you will be arrested and assumed guilty. Regardless of your so-called issues with the arresting officer you were wrong. If the test was negative it would have been a ticket for crossing 3 lanes of traffic and cutting off a cop (also stupid) And by the way thanks so much for mentioning Chick Fil-A I am the mother of a gay child and will go out of my way to not vote for you because of THIS (you were really stupid) and because you support a restaurant chain that goes out of their way to help causes that are anti-LGBT. I am a Democrat and I vote
Chick Fil A doesn't discriminate against employing gay people nor do they reuse to serve gay people. The owner lives in America & is entitled to his opinion as to what constitutes a marriage just as you are.