The laws on DUIs are ever-changing and each year, thousands of DUI cases are taken up on appeal across the nation. Many of these result in written opinions by judges that then become law. In addition, each new DUI or traffic-related offense in the news has the potential to cause changes in the law. These changes are the result of public reaction to serious car accidents and deaths on the roadways of the United States.
That is why Richard Lawson has developed this website; to provide you with 24-hour access to the latest updates on DUI laws and DUI related news. Our goal is to inform our clients and the general public about the latest news and legal decisions. Accordingly, we update our blog and the entire website daily. All of our articles are written by the Georgia DUI Lawyers that work for our firm or affiliates.
For instance, there has been a flurry of legal activity over the legality of roadblocks, in Georgia and across the nation. Seen as a minor intrusion by some courts and an unnecessary infringement upon Fourth Amendment rights by others, the matter seems far from settled. Roadblocks must be established in accordance with the United States and Georgia Constitutions. The police cannot simply have a roadblock any place or any time they want.
There also has been a rash of injuries and deaths on our roadways. The death or injury of any motorist is a tragedy, and as a result; our legislature reacts to the carnage on the road with new laws designed to curb accidents. That is why our laws change every year.
Another recent change in the law regards the 'Boating Under the Influence' legislation in the State. The Boating code was completely overhauled in 2013; attorneys who do not regularly practice DUI law might be unaware of the new changes to the law.
Knowledge is power, and this blog is designed to help you take the most updated information on your defense. It is our goal for you to use the wealth of information on this site; including the Georgia Information Blog, Resources, and Practice Areas pages to help you decide the best course of action in your DUI case.
The Lamb and the Slaughterhouse: I find it rather odd that people routinely tell me that the arresting officer or a deputy at the jail told them that their case is not serious, and they do not need to hire an attorney. This will not be a very long article. When in an adversarial situation, seek...
A recent blog about drugs and DUI led to a discussion with my G+ friends about prescription drug use and medical conditions that could give law enforcement the impression a driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs. We cannot expect the police to make medical diagnoses, especially in highly unpredi...
A Google+ friend asked me today whether handheld personal breathalyzers were accurate. Interestingly, I saw one today at Costco. Some of these devices are stand-alone and some attachments to common smartphones like iPhone and Android devices. I appreciated the question, but it is the wrong q...
Citizen interactions with police are currently under fire in the media in the aftermath of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner incidents. This increased scrutiny has many a police force debating over whether officer body cameras should be employed. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has said that body came...
Debtor's Prison in Georgia – a Sad Example of a Court System Running Amuck: The Georgia Supreme Court ruled Monday that the law that allows private probation companies hired by Georgia counties to manage probationers is constitutional. The law was passed in 2000 by the Georgia Legislature and m...
Case in point: Jamal Anderson, Former Falcon, Arrested for DUI: Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson was arrested Friday night in Gwinnett County. According to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department, Anderson, 42, was arrested for DUI and improper stopping or slowing. He w...
My Job is Written into the Constitution: As an attorney who has defended DUI cases in Georgia for almost twenty years, I am often asked why I “support” or “condone” drinking and driving. For the record, I do NOT support or condone ANYONE driving while intoxicated. I did not become an attorney ...
Often I am asked about whether or not a client should tell their employer about their arrest for DUI. Consider the advice below: If a person has been arrested and charged with a crime, it is not anyone's (even an employer's) business but their own. UNLESS, there are particular work-related cir...
Happy Veterans Day! Today is the day we celebrate and honor those, past and present, that have put their lives on the line to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Our military protects the freedoms that we as citizens take for granted. One of them is the right to “freedom...
A man from Manchester, Tennessee has a slew of charges against him for a crash that happened last Thursday night on Interstate 75; near the Adairsville exit in Bartow County, Georgia. Fifty-year-old Charles Larry Porter has been charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, possess...
A fifteen-year-old will be charged with felony murder related to a car accident that resulted in a fatality. He will be charged as an adult. Quindarious Boddie is said to be at fault for the crash that killed a 29-year-old woman while attempting to elude police while driving a stolen car. Tiff...
Gwinnett County sheriff's deputy Anthony C. Pesaresi was arrested Thursday afternoon for DUI and two counts of child endangerment after an off-duty car wreck. The Gwinnett County Police Department reports that Pesaresi, of Auburn, was driving a Ford Edge on Braselton Highway in Dacula at approx...
The Barrow County city of Statham, Georgia has reported a significant increase in DUI arrests compared to last year. DUI arrests for the town have skyrocketed from 13 last year to a whopping 54 for this year; making it an increase of 415%. Traffic violations typically increase during the wa...
In a sad story without much explanation, a 60-year-old man died Sunday while providing a breath sample at the jail. The deceased had earlier been in a car accident and was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Athens-Clarke County Georgia. Apparently during the breath test he died. An autopsy has b...
United States Attorney Sally Yates has met with the parents of the infant injured in the ill-fated drug raid in Habersham County. This is the last chance for justice in this case because the local District Attorney has used the Grand Jury to cover up the crime of the Sheriff and his goons masque...
Everyone is feeling the economic crunch these days, and our local city governments are no exception, including police departments. Severe budget cuts have forced them to increase revenue by writing more traffic tickets. Remember the old days of the “speeding cushion?” You know, when you could...
What To Do And Not Do When You Must Appear In Court in Atlanta Georgia: As the old saying goes, “You never get another chance to make a first impression.” It is an unfortunate, but true statement. We've all had instances where we met someone when we were not at our best. Maybe you told a bad ...
Fourteen-year-old Megan Lindsay from LaGrange is in critical condition at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston after being thrown from a car after it crashed early in the morning in Troup County, Georgia. Megan's mother, Marsha Lindsay, 37, also of LaGrange was driving her Lexus ES330 wh...
Case in Point: The failure to indict the police officers who maimed a toddler through their criminal negligence during a drug raid. After a six-day investigation, the Habersham County Grand Jury has decided not to bring charges against the law enforcement officers who led the drug raid that ...
Understanding Georgia's Move Over Law: According to the Georgia Department of Highway Safety, traffic accidents are the most common cause of death among police officers killed in the line of duty. More than a quarter of officers killed are struck by passing vehicles while they work outside thei...
After an arrest for DUI in Atlanta or anywhere else in Georgia, the process to successfully resolve the case is very similar. Getting out of Jail - Bonding: The first step after an arrest is to bond out of jail. Occasionally, people are released on their own recognizance. Most of the time, ho...
According to the Gainesville Times, the police have released a woman who spent more than two months in custody, after her drug test came back negative. She was jailed on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Instead, the substance on her spoon came back as spaghetti sauce. THIS IS NOT HOW T...
Since early 2013, all persons arrested for DUI in Atlanta have their initial arraignment the following morning at 8:00 a.m. or at 3:00 p.m. Judge Ward has added Friday arraignments to spread out the cases. Judge Ward oversees all DUI cases in Atlanta in courtroom 5A. If your arrest occurs ov...
Every day I take calls from people who have been arrested for DUI and are surprised they are accused of refusing to take a breath test. Others are surprised they did not have the right to choose to take a blood test over the officer's request for a breath test. The confusion is exacerbated by t...
According to the AJC, a 19-year-old Joshua S. Kim crashed in an off-duty Gwinnett County Sheriff's Deputy who was working at a Department of Transportation construction zone. Deputy Justin Lunt was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center with what was described as non-life threatening injuries. Ki...
At the Law Office of Richard S. Lawson, we have offices conveniently located throughout metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia. If we do not have a convenient office, we will come to you. We practice throughout Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. If your case is in an area we do not serve, we will find you an attorney in your area free of charge. Our office is part of a State-wide network of Georgia DUI Lawyers. Contact us 24/7 for immediate legal help. Our attorneys are standing by. Your DUI Case will not defend itself. Your Best Georgia DUI Defense Begins Here!
