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.
On May 5th, our court of appeals ruled that although the CUSTODIAN OF THE EVIDENCE admitted to tampering with the evidence that conviction for cocaine trafficking would still stand. In McMillan v. State, A14A0124, the court held that although the evidence custodian (Dee Norris) admitted to stea...
A Clayton County man died Monday after crashing his truck into a house. The man's name has not been released, but police believe he suffered from a medical condition that caused him to lose control of his vehicle and subsequently crash into the home. The truck narrowly missed hitting two pe...
Five people have been arrested for their part in a motorcycle crash that killed one person in Gwinnett County last month. Because of the felony charges, the case will be heard in Gwinnett County Superior Court. Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter will prosecute the case. Top-rated Gwinnett...
If you sometimes forget to wear your seat belt or just flat out refuse to wear it, starting Monday, you will have extra mindful about wearing it. The Governor's Office of Highway Safety begins the first of their annual “Click It or Ticket” campaigns. If you're not wearing your seat belt, you...
A 54 year-old Atlanta woman was arrested yesterday for alledgedly stealing her friend's truck and crashing into five other vehicles in southwest Atlanta. Linda Thompson was riding with her friend, 43 year-old Christopher Johnson in his truck. Thompson wanted Johnson to drop her off somewhere on...
An on-duty Barnesville Georgia police officer struck two pedestrians with his police car as they were crossing the road in Lamar County early Friday morning. The incident happened around 1 AM near GA 7 near Grove Street in Barnesville when Quentin Byrd, 21, and Justin Sullivan, 25, were attempti...
Gatha Dyer, 44, of Atlanta was sentenced Monday for the 2013 vehicular homicide of 11 year-old Patrick Williams, a student at McNair Middle School. On April 1, 2013 Williams was attempting to cross a street in southwest Atlanta when he was struck by Dyer's vehicle, throwing him some 53 feet in t...
Columbus, Georgia Mayor's Assistant Arrested and Charged with DUI Lacey Morrison, an assistant of Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with DUI less safe, and failure to maintain lane. She was released from the Muscogee County Jail after a few hours. Morrison'...
An Atlanta woman was arrested Sunday evening for Boating Under the Influence on Lake Lanier (BUI) after a boating accident that injured four people. Christina Jennings, 39, was arrested Sunday after the boat she was “driving” crashed into another. All four of the passengers on the other boat we...
One teenaged girl was killed and another boy and girl were injured in a Henry County car accident Wednesday afternoon. Police are speculating that the teens were possibly racing or at least driving recklessly before the accident. All three of the teens were students at Dutchtown High School and...
A known drug dealer in Toccoa was arrested Monday by Stephens County Sheriff's Department for hitting two deputies with his automobile. The deputies were carrying out a “safety check” in an area known for crime and two homicides a few years ago. During their check a white Jaguar came through an...
Saturday morning around 2:15 am Dunwoody police officer Alvin Rodriguez arrested Damon Tobias Exum after Exum hit the officer's vehicle. When Rodriguez asked Exum to see his driver's license he was surprised at what Exum gave him instead; he gave Officer Rodriquez a beer. No one was injured in ...
Around 4:00 a.m. Friday morning a Grady Hospital ambulance crew was taken to the hospital after a suspected drunk driver ran into their ambulance. The AJC says that a gray pickup truck ran a red light and struck the ambulance as it was traveling north on Boulevard through the Irwin Street intersection...
Mookie Blaylock, 47, former star of the Atlanta Hawks, has been indicted by a Clayton County grand jury on fourteen charges, including vehicular homicide in the first degree, reckless driving, and serious injury by vehicle, to name a few. Blaylock has been accused of causing a head-on collision ...
Are your facing a suspension of your Georgia drivers license for having too many points? In Georgia, the Department of Driver Services (DDS) keeps a record of a driver's performance by reporting points on their motor vehicle report (MVR). When a person is convicted of a traffic offense, Georg...
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal stated Tuesday that he intends to veto a bill that would have allowed private probation companies to hide from auditors information about their business practices. In response to publicity from a recent audit of these private probation companies, our Governor has bow...
I had opined several months ago that one of the most offensive parts of Georgia's criminal justice system has been the delegation of the important government function of supervising people on probation to private companies. As I argued, the goal of a profit seeking company is completely inconsistent w...
The most important legal decision of the week comes from the Arizona Supreme Court in a marijuana DUI case. The background in this case is that many states, including Georgia, people are charged with driving under the influence of marijua with the only evidence being the metabolites (byproduct) ...
When a person is convicted of a traffic offense the Department of Driver Services in Georgia will assess points on the driver's license. These points are used to keep track of the driver's prior convictions for traffic violations. Accumulating points on your driver's license can also lead to a ...
Emily Bowman, the teenager that was struck by a drunk driver while walking on a street in Athens at around 3am, has spoken for the first time since being injured back in February 2013. Bowman had gotten rehabilitation at Shepherd Center but was not making enough progress so last summer she wen...
Most people are aware that Georgia, like many states, assesses points when a person is convicted of a traffic offense. However, most people are unaware of the consequences of how those points can affect their driver's license and their privilege to drive in Georgia. Drivers under the age of 21...
A motorcyclist who fled from Clarkesville police and the Habersham County Sheriff's Office on Saturday afternoon faces nearly a dozen charges. According to Access North Georgia, Blake Adam Masters of Clarkesville faces charges from both the city and the county. The Clarkesville police charged hi...
A driver is facing serious charges after a pedestrian was struck and killed on the shoulder of I-285 south of Langford Parkway, in Fulton County Georgia. The accused will need to hire a top-rated Fulton County DUI Lawyer as soon as possible. According to the Atlanta police, a man was hit by a c...
A Cobb County man is in jail tonight on charges of threatening a Clayton County judge by uttering the name of a convicted courthouse shooter: Brian Nichols. According to the AJC, Erik Gregory Ausler Sr., 33, faces felony charges of terroristic threats and intimidation of a court officer after al...
It's been more than a year since things changed for the better in Atlanta Municipal Court. In the past, when a person hired an Atlanta DUI Lawyer from my office they were warned that their future involved utter chaos. This description was completely accurate. We never knew who the prosecutor wa...
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!
