Atlanta Native and NFL Player Arrested at Casino for Public Intoxication

Atlanta native and NFL defensive back, Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested for a subsequent time in a casino - this time on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. According to past reports, Jones was arrested in 2007 for a brawl inside of a club in Las Vegas. The brawl reportedly involved a shooting which left a club employee paralyzed.

This time, however, Jones was arrested at the Rising Star Casino in Indiana. According to the incident report, Indiana Gaming Commission officers were called to investigate possible cheating which led to Jones allegedly becoming verbally combative as well as disorderly.

Every state has a law regarding public drunkenness - including Georgia. Although Jones was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in Indiana - as a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the law behind public drunkenness in our state.

Public Drunk in Georgia

Public drunk in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. §16-11-41 as:

A person who shall be and appear in an intoxicated condition in any public place or within the curtilage of any private residence not his own other than by invitation of the owner or lawful occupant, which condition is made manifest by boisterousness, by indecent condition or act, or by vulgar, profane, loud, or unbecoming language, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Being charged or arrested for public drunkenness in Georgia happens more often than people tend to think. A lot of the time, an individual is arrested for public drunk when they decide to do the right thing and not drive under the influence (DUI in Georgia).

As you can see from the statute, public intoxication includes much more than just being drunk in public. To be convicted of the offense, the accused person must also engage in loud or disruptive behavior including yelling, using profane language, tearing down property, running in the streets, etc.

In many cases, an encounter with police officers is escalated to an arrest for Public Intoxication when you are uncooperative, aggressive, vulgar, or argue with the officers.  If you then resist arrest or obstruct an investigation, you may face further charges with even more severe penalties.

Practice Note

As a firm - we focus solely on Georgia DUI Defense. This includes all related offenses from minor in possession in Georgia to reckless driving in Georgia.

Regardless of the charge - an arrest can have a permanent effect on your life. Having a criminal record can affect all areas of your life from education to credit to residence. We can help you today.