Mother Arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Methamphetamine with Her Young Daughter in the Car

Monica Smith has been arrested for leading police on a high-speed chase through Carroll County. Smith has been accused of driving while being under the influence of methamphetamine with her 5-year-old daughter unrestrained on the floorboard of the vehicle.

When pulled over, Smith initially presented her license, but she then allegedly began to drive away, driving on the sidewalk and striking an officer with her car. 

The police chased Smith for almost five miles. 

Police eventually arrested Smith. Fortunately, her daughter was unharmed, and she's been turned over to a relative. Smith has been accused of many different offenses including DUI Drugs in Georgia. 

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 an offense that is taken very seriously in the state of Georgia. Both the prosecution and the judge will look strictly upon accused DUI or DUI Drugs drivers when a child is involved. If convicted the Georgia DUI Penalties will be greatly increased.

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.

Multiple DUI convictions can lead to harsher penalties. For example, a fourth DUI in Georgia automatically elevates to a Felony DUI in Georgia. The driver will not only be a convicted felon but will also face years of driver's license suspension as well as the possibility of extensive prison time.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI in Georgia, contact our offices today. We have over 50 years of combined experience with DUI Defenses in Georgia. We will investigate your case and determine which path is the best to take.