Young Georgia Woman Arrested for Hindering Police Officer

According to reports out of Cobb County, a grand jury indicted a 24-year-old woman on charges after she allegedly tried to remove a police officer's firearm from his belt.

The woman in the story above is facing a charge of attempting to remove a weapon from a public official. This charge is similar to the charge of obstruction. These types of offenses against police officers are commonly charged alongside DUI in Georgia.

In today's post as a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the offense of obstruction as it is the most commonly related offense to DUI.

Obstruction in Georgia

Obstruction in Georgia is defined in the Georgia Code as: misdemeanor obstruction and felony obstruction.

Misdemeanor obstruction is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-10-24(a) as:

When a person knowingly or willfully obstructs or hinders any law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his official duties.

The penalty for a misdemeanor conviction in Georgia is a fine up to $1,000, jail time up to one year, or both. It can also come with community service, anger management classes, or any other punishments allowed under the misdemeanor sentencing laws of Georgia.

Felony obstruction is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-10-24(b) as:

When a person knowingly and willfully resists, obstructs, or opposes any law enforcement officer, prison guard, correctional officer, community supervision officer, probation officer, or conservation officer in the lawful discharge of his or her official duties by offering or doing violence to the person.

The penalty for a felony obstruction conviction is a prison term between one and five years. In addition to any prison term imposed, the accused will pay a fine of at least $300. Furthermore, the penalty could include community service and anger management classes.

Practice Note

Examples of obstruction include: resisting arrest, hindering a police investigation, lying to an officer, running from the scene of an arrest, giving false information to police, threatening an officer, hitting an officer, etc.

If you or a loved one has been charged with DUI or a DUI related offense, contact our offices now.