Georgia Man Charged with DUI and Child Endangerment After Alleged High Speed Chase in Cobb County

Alhagi Jagne is facing more than twelve different charges according to reports out of Cobb County. Officers attempted to pull Jagne over while he was driving on South Cobb Drive this past Thursday afternoon. He was allegedly driving on a suspended license and decided to flee from officers during the attempted routine traffic stop. The chase ended when he slammed into a patrol car. This was when officers found two children in the vehicle along with an open bottle of liquor.

Some of the charges Jagne is facing include:

• Open Container in Georgia
• DUI in Georgia
• Child Endangerment in Georgia
• Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer in Georgia

Jagne remains in the Cobb County jail without bond.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will focus on the offense of child endangerment in today's post. This is a very serious offense and can lead to some very serious consequences.

DUI Child Endangerment in Georgia

DUI Child Endangerment in Georgia is a very serious offense. Both the prosecution and the judge will look strictly upon accused DUI drivers when a child is involved, which if convicted - will increase the Georgia DUI Penalties.

In O.C.G.A. §40-6-391, the Georgia Code lays out a separate provision for the endangerment of a child if someone is charged with DUI while a child is present in the vehicle.

The law states that for each child in the vehicle with an alleged DUI driver, there will be an additional DUI charge. This means that you will face multiple DUIs for one technical instance of DUI in Georgia.

In order to be convicted, the State of Georgia must find the accused person guilty of the underlying and original DUI charge before finding that he or she endangered a child.

This is important because multiple DUI convictions can lead to harsher penalties, and a fourth DUI in Georgia automatically elevates to a Felony DUI in Georgia. This means that the accused driver will not only be a convicted felon but will also face years of driver's license suspension and prison time and lose his or her rights to drive on Georgia roads.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI in Georgia or Child Endangerment in Georgia, contact our offices today. We specialize in Georgia DUI Defense and have 50 years of combined experience.