Rookie NJ officer, 22, pleads guilty after late-night drunk-driving crash

☑️Rookie Morristown police officer admits to DWI in off-duty crash

☑️Court records show a fine plus use of a mandatory interlock device

☑️ Officer’s status unclear as department

MORRISTOWN — A rookie cop who was charged with drunk driving after a crash while off-duty pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.

Morristown police officer Laura V. Starnes, 22, of Glen Gardner, was driving on Morris Street around 11 p.m. on May 6 when she crashed her vehicle and exhibited signs of intoxication, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. She was issued a summons for careless driving. When the toxicology report came back, she was charged with operating under the influence of liquor or drugs.

Court records show Starnes pleaded not guilty to careless driving and the charge was dismissed. She was also fined $640, must use an interlocking device and serve 12 hours in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. The hearing was moved to Denville Municipal Court.

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Rookie officer with local ties

Starnes' status with the department is not clear. She is not listed on the department's website contact information page. She and five other officers on were acknowledged on the department Facebook page for National Police Women's Day on Sept. 12.  Chief Darnell Richardson did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for comment.

Starnes is the daughter of a retired Morris Township police officer Bruce Starnes. She was sworn into the department in December and was in the patrol division. She graduated from Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township in 2021 and has a business degree from Raritan Valley Community College.

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