Soldier’s Arrest Makes Headlines in Georgia

Coweta County officers arrested a solider this past weekend after he was accused of driving under the influence in Georgia. He was also accused of fleeing or attempting to elude in Georgia as he allegedly fled from the trooper who attempted to stop him.

Reports show that he was allegedly driving his vehicle over 120 MPH on I-85. The officers resulted to performing a PIT maneuver in order to force him to stop his car. He told officers later at the hospital that he was a soldier and without leave from Fort Gordon. He was also charged with reckless conduct because of his violation of the shelter-in-place order put into place by Governor Kemp as a result of COVID-19.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, there are plenty of offenses that I could focus today's post on. However, in today's post, I will focus on the law behind the offense of obstruction in Georgia as he is also facing a charge for this as well.

Obstruction in Georgia

Obstruction of a police officer in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-10-24 as:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, a person who knowingly and willfully obstructs or hinders any law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his official duties is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) Whoever knowingly and willfully resists, obstructs, or opposes any law enforcement officer, prison guard, correctional officer, probation supervisor, parole supervisor, or conservation ranger in the lawful discharge of his official duties by offering or doing violence to the person of such officer or legally authorized person is guilty of a felony and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.

According to Georgia law, misdemeanor obstruction in Georgia can result in a 12 month maximum sentence and/or a $1000 fine, community service, anger management classes, and anything else allowed under the misdemeanor sentencing laws of Georgia. And felony obstruction in Georgia can result in a sentence of between one and five years in prison and/or community service and anger management classes.  Additionally, the fines can be thousands of dollars. 

Practice Note

Call our offices today if you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI in Georgia or any other related offense such as those mentioned in today's article. We can help you now!