While November began the holiday season, it also had numerous DUI incidents. The end of the year is usually a time of happiness for people, but accidents or DUIs can put a damper on the holiday festivities. Some of the accidents this month included: On November 10th, a 54-year-old man, Jeffrey ...

A Florida appellate court was recently tasked with determining an interesting issue. Most cars nowadays have a “black box” that records certain information about the vehicle and its operation. The court evaluated what amount of privacy a driver could expect with the information collected by his o...

Many of our clients that have been charged with a DUI ask if it is possible to get the case reduced to a reckless driving charge. They often ask this without even knowing what the difference is between the two charges, except that a reckless driving does not look as bad as a DUI. While it is true...

It may sound surprising, but many of our clients get a second Georgia DUI before their First Georgia DUI is resolved. This past weekend, a client whom I like very much called and told me she was arrested again. Although it no longer surprises me, it does cause me to want to discuss how my client...

State Route 400 is a 54-mile long highway that travels through the northern part of Georgia. It begins in Atlanta and ends up in the city of Dahlonega. It was formerly a toll road and was even featured in the film Smokey and the Bandit. This stretch of road has also been the site of several recen...

According to news reports, Alexis Butler was killed when a driver was distracted while providing a breath-sample on an ignition interlock device. This tragedy brings to issue a few points that must be covered. The at fault driver was required to provide a breath sample to continue driving. As a ...

The University of Georgia is an icon across the Southeast known for their sports programs as well as their excellent location in Athens, Georgia. The University of Georgia campus sprawls over hundreds of acres in Athens, and the one thing you see everywhere are bars. With 30,000 students, there a...

For the most part, when people see the flashing blue and red lights of a police car behind them, they pull over and stop. However, for a variety of reasons, sometimes drivers choose to continue driving and evade police. One such incident occurred over this past weekend in Alpharetta. According to...

Every week our Georgia DUI Lawyers speak to between 75-100 people. Very often callers want to know what will be the outcome of their case. Worrying about the future is entirely understandable. Anyone who visits a doctor or lawyer wants to know what will happen to them. We understand. However, n...

Impaired drivers account for almost 1/3 of the traffic deaths on Georgia roads each year. To lower the number of fatalities in Georgia, the Department of Highway Safety implemented the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) campaign. The Department of Highway Safety in Georgia developed...

The latest iPhone, the iPhone X was released to the public this past weekend and sold out almost immediately. Smartphones like this have become incredibly popular in recent years. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of Americans own one, and 95% of Americans have some kind of a cell phone. ...

You are probably familiar with the phrase “filing motions” in a court setting, but when it comes to a DUI case, what does that mean exactly? A legal “motion” is a very broad term that can mean many different things. A motion” is the formal way for your Georgia DUI Attorney to ask the judge for s...

It is already November and this year is flying by. October was a busy month for Georgians with lots of college football games, Halloween, and trips to the pumpkin patch. It was also an eventful month for accidents and DUIs. Here is a recap of accidents that happened in October. At our office, we...

The Georgia Supreme Court decided the case of Olevik v. State in October 2017. This case will likely have a significant impact on DUI cases in the state for many years to come. In Olevik, the court was tasked with answering whether the provision in Georgias Constitution that provides its citizen...

With the new law that went into effect July 1st, 2017, people charged with their first DUI in Georgia have the option of having an ignition interlock device installed in their car or having an Administrative License Hearing. Many people are unsure about what an ignition interlock device is or how...

It was recently reported in the news that there were more than 60,000 deaths from drug overdoses in 2016. As a Georgia Attorney who works in criminal law, I see how our legal system exasperates the problem. The legal system is a poor place to “help” those who are struggling with drug abuse. If y...

In October of 2017, the Georgia Supreme Court decided the case of Olevik v. State. This case examined the extent of a DUI suspects right against self-incrimination under the Georgia constitution. Specifically, the Court was asked to decide whether this state constitutional protection prohibits ...

Today in court, I witnessed an attorney put on a show for his client. My opinion was that his show deserved terrible ratings. The attorney was loud; he was rude to opposing counsel; he interrupted the judge; he raised his voice; and ultimately, he accomplished nothing positive. Throughout my ...

As a personal rule, I will not consume an alcoholic beverage before driving. This is an ultra-conservative point of view because I have seen many injustices in court where I was certain innocent people were convicted of driving under the influence. When combined with the fact that I am a Georgia ...

In October 2017, the Georgia Supreme Court handed down a decision that could have widespread implications in DUI cases. The case, Olevik v. State, deals with the right against self-incrimination. Like the U.S. Constitution, the Georgia state constitution also protects citizens from incriminating ...

Years ago, an experienced lawyer and mentor told me: “Richard, a hearing is a hearing is a hearing.” I had asked him about doing a restitution hearing and how I did not know how to do one. His response was meant to show me that since I already knew how to conduct a hearing, I would be able to con...

Driving under the influence is a common occurrence in every state, but across the nation, DUIs involving alcohol have been declining while prescription drug DUI arrests have increased. Specifically, in Georgia, the scales have tipped with many drivers being charged with being under the influence ...

When a case reaches an unfavorable outcome, a defendant may choose to appeal. While the appeal is pending, the issues that are being decided in that case may be relevant to other cases that are moving through the court system. Because of this, when a ruling is handed down, a question may arise as...

Guest Blog By Sarah Illg: Over the last several months, I was fortunate enough to shadow Mr. Lawson while I await the results of my Bar exam on October 27th. Although I have been employed with the Law Offices of Richard Lawson for three years, I immediately noticed that working behind a desk is ...

In a DUI investigation, there are three field sobriety tests that an investigating officer will typically administer. These are called the standardized field sobriety tests. The tests included: the horizontal gaze nystagmus evaluation (HGN or eye test), the walk and turn evaluation (walking t...