Atlanta Police Sergeant Awarded $100K After False Accusation of DUI

As a Georgia DUI Attorney, I find the following story most interesting. According to reports, Atlanta Police Sergeant, Paul Sparwarth was improperly arrested for DUI in Georgia in 2017.

In August of last year, Sparwarth called 911 after witnessing some teenagers exhibiting what he described as strange and suspicious behavior in his neighborhood in Forsyth County. 

The police officers who reported to the scene ended up letting the teenagers go, but one of the deputies, Tim Sheldon, suspected that Sparwarth was under the influence. According to reports, Sparwarth had just gotten home when he made the 911 call after working a side job within the city of Atlanta at a club. He was still in his APD uniform when he explained to Sheldon that he had just finished an 18 hour shift.

Nevertheless, Sheldon insisted that Sparwarth perform the various Georgia Field Sobriety Tests. Sparwarth then consented to multiple breath tests - all showed well below the legal limit with the last test showing 0.00 BAC. 

Forsyth County Sheriff said he's reviewing his policies and retraining his deputies on DUI arrests. 

Practice Note

I am happy to hear that Forsyth County will be reviewing their DUI policies and retraining their deputies on DUI arrests - however, this is not the first or the last of wrongful DUI accusations in Georgia. 

If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI in Georgia, contact a Georgia DUI Lawyer today. We specialize in DUI Defenses in Georgia and can help you with your case. 

This is an abnormal situation because the person improperly accused is a police sergeant. Without the help of a DUI Attorney, most people arrested for DUI in Georgia just accept the harsh Georgia DUI Penalties without exploring their options. In fact, most people tend to believe that their case is doomed from the moment they are arrested. 

This is simply not true. No case is beyond our help. Contact us now.