Sheriff's Deputy Arrested for DUI After Hit & Run Accident

A Richmond County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested Saturday, November 24, 2018, after an alleged case of drinking and driving. Deputy Adam Wade is a jailer assigned to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

Wade was arrested after driving on Broad Street in Augusta, GA where he hit two parked cars before driving away from the scene of the accident. He was off-duty at the time, according to the Sheriff's Office, and he was driving a private vehicle when he struck the two cars.

Wade was stopped by Richmond County Sheriff's deputies shortly after the accident and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, failure to maintain lane, and hit and run. He has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Wade's arrest makes for the seventh member of the sheriff's office in 2018.

• Investigator Aaron Hannsz was arrested for DUI on November 15.
• Deputy Charles Gunn was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of simple battery and one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass after a domestic dispute.
• Deputy James Bryan Ouzts was fired from the Sheriff's Office after being arrested while working a special duty shift at a nightclub back in October.
• Lt. Richard Elim was fired after being arrested over compensation discrepancies in October.
• Deputy Eugene Danner resigned from the force after being charged with failure to maintain lane and DUI in July.
• Deputy Thomas Andrews was fired after being charged with instigating a fight while off-duty in February.

Even Police Make Mistakes

The list above makes something clear: police are not perfect. Law enforcement makes mistakes. Whether it is in their personal life or their professional life, police officers make mistakes. In many cases, these mistakes translate to wrongful arrests and incorrect charges for DUI against Georgia residents.

When police make mistakes it is important to be able to quickly and effectively identify those mistakes so that they may be challenged in your DUI case.

Common Police Mistakes

Georgia law enforcement commonly make mistakes in certain areas, and these areas make for great defenses to your charges.

• Field Sobriety Tests: Field sobriety tests are notoriously inaccurate, and law enforcement officers commonly misinterpret the results. People with medical conditions often have difficulty performing the tests, even when sober. Also, Georgia residents are not required to submit to these tests, and law enforcement often lies about this fact or implies that failure to submit could hurt your case.
• DUI Less Safe: DUI less safe is a Georgia law that states that even when you are under 0.08% BAC if you are "intoxicated" and driving you can be arrested. Police commonly misread the signs and make arrests of people "under the limit" and who are not intoxicated.
• Illegal Stops: Police are required to have probable cause to initiate the traffic stop. In many cases, the "reason" police pull a person over is to hunt for intoxicated drivers so they look for other excuses to pull you over. When police do not follow the law in this process, your charges can be challenged.

Consult a Georgia DUI Attorney

If you or someone you care for has been arrested for DUI you need to present the best possible defense to protect your constitutional rights.

An experienced Georgia DUI attorney can defend your case and protect your rights. Contact us today for a free consultation.