Georgia DUI Law – Necessity Defense to a DUI Charge

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There are many legal challenges and defenses available to defendants in a DUI case. One of these defenses is an “affirmative defense.” An affirmative defense is one in which the defendant argues that, even if the allegations of the indictment or accusation are true, there are circumstances that support a determination that he cannot or should not be held criminally liable. In the context of a DUI, the defendant would be arguing to the judge or jury that the defendant was in fact DUI, but the defendant is justified or excused in driving under the influence. One justification defense[1] to DUI is “necessity.”   

Under federal law[2], the doctrine of necessity requires:

1) the defendant reasonably believed that a danger or emergency existed that he did not intentionally cause; 2) the danger or emergency threatened significant harm to himself or a third person; 3) the threatened harm must have been real, imminent, and impending; 4) the defendant had no reasonable means to avoid the danger or emergency except by committing the crime; 5) the crime must have been committed out of duress to avoid the danger or emergency; and 6) the harm the defendant avoided outweighs the harm caused by committing the crime.

In 1991, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed a conviction for DUI because a jury could have found driving under the influence was justified when Defendant was driving 8 ½ month pregnant wife to the doctor.[3] 

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

[1] O.C.G.A. § 16-3-20

[2] Manners v. Cannella, 891 F.3d 959, 11th Cir. (2018)

[3] Tarvestad v. State, 261 Ga. 605 (1991)

Released on Copy of Citation in Georgia – Is it Still a Crime?

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In Georgia, you don’t have to be arrested to be charged with a crime. All traffic offenses and certain other crimes allow officers to release you on a copy of citation. This includes city ordinance violations in many Georgia municipalities, all traffic offenses including DUI, some drug crimes, minor theft cases, and other crimes and misdemeanors. Just because you haven’t been arrested does not mean you aren’t facing a serious criminal charge that could be on your criminal record forever.

The good news is that because you weren’t arrested and fingerprinted, it means that arrest is not on your criminal history right now. But it very well could be later, and it is important to have the right Georgia criminal defense attorney on your side to prevent that citation from hurting you later.

The right Georgia criminal defense attorney can acquire all the evidence in the case and do everything they can to try and prevent you from being fingerprinted later and a cycle appearing on your Georgia Criminal History. Many municipalities require fingerprinting after conviction, or sometimes if you request a jury trial on your case. Once you are fingerprinted, that charge may appear on your Georgia criminal history and be available to people running background checks.

Also, just because you aren’t fingerprinted, doesn’t mean there is not a record of your case in the Clerk’s office where you are charged. Many background check companies are now going directly to local Clerk’s offices in your area looking for open and closed cases with your name and date of birth. Even if you weren’t arrested, and often if a case is dismissed and proper procedures aren’t taken, the charges of your case still show up in the Clerk’s record, potentially impacting your ability to find work in Georgia.

Our office of criminal defense attorneys will do everything we can to protect your criminal history. Call us today for a free consultation at 404-581-0999.

Drug Trafficking in Georgia

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by Mary Agramonte

         The war on drugs is alive and well in the Georgia criminal justice system. You may be surprised the amounts of each drug that Georgia law considers to be Drug Trafficking. While selling drugs of any kind is against the law and considered a felony, there is a threshold for each drug that will bump the case into drug trafficking. Drug trafficking has significantly harsher penalties than a simple Possession charge or even Possession with Intent to Distribute. Drug trafficking also can make obtaining a bond more difficult at the onset of the case because only a Superior Court Judge can grant bond in these situations. This can be an issue since the first Judge people typically see after arrest is a Magistrate Judge at First Appearance, and Magistrate Judges do not have authority to grant a bond in Drug Trafficking cases in Georgia. In some courts, Magistrate Judges “sit in designation” and can in fact handle bond hearings for trafficking charges. If this is not the case, attorneys must request a hearing by a Superior Court Judge in order to request a bond.

What is considered drug trafficking?

Simply possessing the following amounts will be considered Drug Trafficking under Georgia law, even if there is no evidence of selling or delivering it.

Methamphetamine: 28 grams or more

Heroin: 4 grams or more

Cocaine: 28 grams or more

Marijuana: 10 pounds

How much time am I facing if I am charged with Drug Trafficking?

The short answer is it depends. Each drug and amount has a different mandatory minimum sentence. For example, if you have anywhere between 28 grams and 200 grams of cocaine, Georgia law requires a sentence with a minimum 10 years and $200,000 fine. Those numbers go up with every amount over 200 grams.

If you are charged with trafficking marijuana in Georgia, and the amount seized was somewhere between 10 pounds and 2,000 pounds, it is a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a $100,000 fine.  Similarly, these numbers will also go up for every amount over 2,000 pounds.

See O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31 for all mandatory minimum sentencing according to type of drug and amount seized.

There are defenses to Drug Trafficking in Georgia

Drug trafficking cases typically implicate the Fourth Amendment more than any other type of case. Each of us has a Constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures. Each case is different and must be carefully analyzed in terms of whether the police officers acted lawfully in the search and seizure of the drugs. For example, if the officers had no right to enter your trunk or your safe in the closet, the drugs and case can be thrown out. Likewise, if the search warrant is not valid, or they did not get a warrant, this is another defense to getting the drugs suppressed or excluded.

Drug trafficking in Georgia carries significant sentences, and the legal motions must be filed very early on in the case in order to preserve the issue and allow us to argue the suppression of the drugs. If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with Drug Trafficking in Georgia, reach out today for a FREE CONSULTATION with the experienced lawyers of W. Scott Smith by calling 404-581-0999.

Battery – Family Violence in Georgia

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If you or a loved one is arrested for Family Violence Battery in Georgia, it is important that you act immediately to protect yourself. Do not wait until your court date to get an attorney and to preserve evidence. 

Georgia Criminal Code § 16-5-23.1 defines domestic violence as whenever a battery, an intentional physical harm or visible bodily harm, is committed against “past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons living or formerly living in the same household.”

Punishment

First Conviction: Upon a first conviction of family violence battery, the defendant shall be guilty of and punished for a misdemeanor, a jail sentence can be imposed of up to twelve months and courts will require defendant’s to take a 24 week Family Violence Intervention Program throughout probation. 

Second Conviction: A second or subsequent conviction of family violence battery against the same or another victim, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.

There are also immigration concerns if you are not a U.S. Citizen. 

It should be noted, domestic violence is a “deportable” offense, if you are not a U.S. citizen and are convicted it can lead to serious immigration consequence.

Do not think that just because you are innocent that the charges will be dismissed. Family Violence Battery charges are aggressively prosecuted in Georgia. 

Here is what you should do if arrested for Family Violence Battery in Georgia. 

  1. Hire an attorney – Make sure that attorney actually handles and tries Family Violence Battery cases.  Make sure the attorney you talk to does regularly handles Family Violence Battery cases in Georgia. 
  2. Avoid making any statements – Do not walk into the police department and profess your innocence. The police will not believe you. Do not think you can show up at your first court date and tell the prosecutor and judge that you are innocent and expect the charges to be
    dropped. If you are arrested for Family Violence Battery, you have to start preparing
    for your jury trial. Do not make any statements to anyone except your lawyer. 
  3. Gather and preserve any physical evidence in your possession that might relate to the person making the accusation. This includes clothing, photos, video or any other tangible object.
  4. Gather and preserve any documents that might relate to this accusation including emails, texts, social media, phone records, GPS records, computer records or any other document that might show where you were when this incident allegedly occurred. 
  5. Witnesses – Immediately make a list of any person who you think might have information about this Family Violence Battery accusation.Do not discuss the case with this person but pass this list of potential witnesses to your attorney and let your attorney contact them. 

Here is what you should never do if arrested for Family Violence Battery in Georgia

  1. Never talk to the alleged victim or the family.
  2. Never have any contact with the alleged victim
    through a 3rd party or through social media.
  3. Never talk to law enforcement without an
    attorney present.

If you are arrested for Family Violence Battery in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Dekalb, Clayton or any other county in the metro Atlanta area, please call our office 24/7 at 404-581-0999. We will sit down with you and fully discuss your case and what to expect in court. There is no charge for this consultation. You will only retain us if you feel we are the best law firm to represent you. It is your life so you need to hire the lawyer that you feel gives you the best chance to win your case. 

Georgia DUI Law: Calendar Call

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There are several court dates in the life of a DUI case. The first court date is arraignment. This is where the court formally notifies the defendant of the charges and asks the defendant whether they plead guilty or not guilty. After arraignment, the case is then scheduled for a “calendar call,” court date.

What is Calendar Call?

The purpose of calendar call is for the parties to appear in court and “announce” to the judge the status of the case. This way, the judge will know whether the case is going to be a trial, a plea, or if the case needs to be continued due to an outstanding issue (missing evidence, witness unavailability, accountability court applications, scheduling conflicts, etc.). Calendar calls promote judicial efficiency.

Who Must Appear?                                                             

Unrepresented defendants must appear at calendar call. Failure to appear will cause a bench warrant to be issued for your arrest and forfeiture of your bond. At calendar call, an unrepresented defendant who does not desire to hire an attorney may announce “pre-trial” at calendar call. This announcement signals to the judge that the defendant wishes to have a brief conversation with the prosecuting attorney about the case in an effort to reach a resolution. In this “pre-trial” conference, the defendant should ask the State what their offer is on the case. If acceptable, then accept. If the offer is unacceptable, or confusing, or seems fishy, the defendant should hire a lawyer. It is important to remember any statements the unrepresented defendant makes to the prosecutor can be used against the defendant at trial.

Represented defendants may have to appear at calendar call, depending on the judge. Most judges will allow the attorney to appear and make an announcement on the defendant’s behalf. Therefore, it is critically important attorneys know the judge’s preferences in advance of court as to avoid a possible bench warrant. If a judge is particular about represented defendants appearing in court, the attorney may still be able to excuse the defendant by filing a “waiver of presence,” with the court. This is simply a notarized document signed by defendant stating they waive the right to be present. Furthermore, some judges will allow attorneys to make their calendar call announcements via email in advance of court. This saves the attorney and possibly the defendant a trip to court.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

Georgia DUI Law: How a DUI Becomes a Felony

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The vast majority of DUI arrests are charged as misdemeanors in Georgia. There are certain circumstances, however, that will cause the DUI charge to be elevated from a misdemeanor to a felony. This article serves to explain the three major ways a driver in Georgia could obtain a felony DUI charge.

Multiple Prior DUI Convictions

A fourth DUI arrest within a ten year period[1] that results in a conviction is punishable as a felony. A first, second, or third DUI conviction in a ten year period will be treated as a misdemeanor, although the third conviction will be a high and aggravated misdemeanor.

If convicted of a fourth offense within a ten year period, the judge has the authority to impose a prison sentence between one and five years (all of which may be on probation except 90 days).

Causing Serious Injury or Death

You can be charged with a felony if you seriously injure another person while driving under the influence. Under O.C.G.A. 40-6-394(b), “[a]ny person who, without malice aforethought, causes an accident that results in bodily harm while violating Code Section 40-6-390 or 40-6-391 commits the crime of serious injury by vehicle. A person convicted of violating this subsection shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than 15 years.” Bodily harm is defined as, “an injury to another person which deprives him or her of a member of his or her body, renders a member of his or her body useless, seriously disfigures his or her body or a member thereof, or causes organic brain damage which renders his or her body or any member thereof useless.”

Similarly, “[a]ny person who, without malice aforethought, causes the death of another person . . . [while driving under the influence] shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than 15 years. O.C.G.A 40-6-393.

High Risk Operator

The law recognizes people who are convicted of DUI should be punished more severely because they are transporting children at the time of impaired driving. This occurs in two ways.

A third conviction of DUI child endangerment will result in a felony charge. This offense is punishable by one to five years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000 to $5,000.

Finally, under O.C.G.A. 40-6-391.3, a school bus driver convicted of DUI while driving a school bus is punishable as a felony. The school bus driver will face a one to five year prison sentence and a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

[1] Measured from the dates of arrest (but only since July 1, 2008). Arrests resulting in convictions prior to this date do not apply towards the total number of arrests for this purpose.

Georgia DUI Law: Motion to Suppress

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A motion to suppress seeks to exclude illegally obtained evidence based upon a constitutional violation.[1] The purpose of a motion to suppress is to determine, before trial, whether particular evidence will be admissible at trial. If the judge finds the evidence is not admissible, the prosecuting attorney may determine they cannot go forward on the case and dismiss it entirely. If the judge rules the evidence is admissible, the defendant may be more inclined to enter a guilty plea knowing the objected to evidence will be admitted.

A motion to suppress must:

  • Be made in writing
  • Raise a constitutional ground or basis
  • Allege sufficient facts to place the prosecution on notice of the claim of unlawfulness
  • Be filed no later than 10 days after arraignment (unless judge allows for extension in writing)

A failure to comply with these requirements could result in a waiver of your motion and ability to resolve these issues before a trial.

Once a motion to suppress has been filed, the burden of proving the lawfulness of the legal issues raised is placed on the State. A defendant is general entitled to an evidentiary hearing unless the parties agree to the facts. If so, the judge may rule on the motion without a hearing as a matter of law. The hearing must occur outside the presence of a jury.

For example, in the context of a DUI case, a defendant should file a motion to suppress the results of a chemical test (ex. breath or blood) if there was insufficient probable cause to arrest. The prosecutor would have to call the arresting officer to court and prove to a judge there was probable cause to arrest. Not only could a judge rule in your favor, but a defendant also receives the benefit of officer testimony made under oath. Therefore, if the officer later testifies at trial to something inconsistent with what that officer said at the motion to suppress, the officer’s prior inconsistent statement could be used to impeach that officer (showing they are not credible). 

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[1] A motion to suppress does not apply to (1) attacks on the validity of charging documents (accusations or indictments); (2) chain of custody issues; or (3) to testimony. 

Georgia DUI Law – What a Georgia DUI Costs

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In 2018, there were 21,784 DUI convictions in Georgia. A DUI arrest and conviction has serious consequences. Among those consequences, you can expect to pay a significant amount of money in defending the case. This article serves to provide a general idea of what it costs to be arrested and convicted of DUI.

  1. Bail/Bond: $150 – $2,500. Cost of bail in a DUI arrest depends on a variety of factors including but not limited to prior criminal history, case facts, and ties to the community.
  2. Towing: $50 – $200. The cost of towing and impounding a car can increase daily.
  3. Insurance Increase: $4,500 or more. Depending on your insurance carrier and driving history, your rates could double, triple or even quadruple over a period of three to five years.
  4. Legal Fees: $2,000- $25,000.
  5. Fines: $300 – $5000. These base fines vary depending on the nature of your offense and any prior DUI’s. These base fines do not include statutory court costs which can increase the base fine by 50% or more. 
  6. Alcohol Evaluation: $95 – $300. The law requires completion of an alcohol and drug evaluation and treatment if recommended by the evaluator.
  7. Classes: $500 – $4,000. As part of a DUI conviction you will be required to complete a Risk Reduction class (also referred to as “DUI School”). This class costs $350. You are also required to complete a Victim Impact Panel which costs roughly $100.
  8. License reinstatement fees: $210 – $410. License reinstatement generally costs $210. However, depending on your history, you could be required to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle in order to reinstate your license. You would have to pay for the installation of the device plus daily maintenance costs.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

Georgia DUI Law: DUI Arrests on Super Bowl Weekend

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Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. On February 2, 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs will be competing against the San Francisco Forty-Niners in Super Bowl LIV at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Alongside holidays such as New Year’s Eve, Independence Day, and St. Patrick’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday has one of the highest rates of DUI arrests across the United States.

Super Bowl Sundays and DUI Arrests

The Automobile Club of Southern California conducted a 9-year-long study analyzing drunken driving-related crashes resulting in injuries on Super Bowl Sundays as compared to other Sundays. Their research showed that these DUI crashes involving injury were 41% more likely to occur on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other Sundays in January or February. Additionally, the study showed that New Year’s Eve was the only night of the year with a higher rate, with a 44% increase.

Data from Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) – which analyzes the drinking behavior of approximately 530,000 repeat DUI offenders, found that drinking violations by repeat drunk drivers increased an average of 22% nationwide on Super Bowl Sunday, compared to the average Sunday.

Tips for Super Bowl Sunday

Have a plan. Arrange for a designated driver or a ride share service (Uber, Lyft, Via, etc.) if you intend on drinking and traveling on the roadways. Consider sleeping over at a friend’s house if you are watching the game there.

Be aware. Law enforcement will be out in numbers. Police will be actively looking for bad driving in order to facilitate a DUI investigation. As an additional precaution, you should expect potential DUI Roadblocks in certain areas.

If you are stopped and investigated for DUI, you need to know what to do.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

Can a Spouse of a Convicted Felon Own a Gun in Georgia?

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By:  Mary Agramonte

Georgia law prohibits people convicted of felonies from possessing firearms. Similarly, people currently on first offender probation are also not allowed to carry guns. You must be discharged from probation as a first offender without an adjudication of guilt in order to lawfully possess a firearm. Felons cannot have guns unless and until their rights are restored in the State of Georgia.

But what if you are a convicted felon and someone else near you owns a gun? Or what if you are in the same vehicle as someone who has a gun? Likewise, one of the questions we are asked most often is “can my spouse or partner have a gun in the same home as me if I am a felon?”

The short answer is: it depends. The question that is going to be asked by law enforcement and the Courts is whether or not the State can prove YOU possessed the gun. You do not have to actually have it in your hand or your pocket in order to be charged and convicted with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In some instances, it simply has to be near you, or in a place where the circumstances point to the weapon being yours. This is because Georgia law recognizes two different kinds of ‘possession.’ The first is Actual Possession and the other kind is Constructive Possession.

Actual Possession is where you truly possess the gun: it is in your pocket or in your car, for example. With Constructive Possession, the line can be a little more blurry on whether or not you will be arrested or convicted of possession the firearm by a convicted felon. When  dealing with Constructive Possession, you can be arrested for possessing a firearm even if you never possessed it. The State can prove it through circumstantial evidence. For example, constructive possession occurs where a gun is in a shared hotel room with you and a friend, and you know the gun is there, and you tell police where it is. In that situation, the State will allege you had possession of the firearm- even if you never touched it. Another example of constructive possession would be if the gun was found in the drawer of a shared bedroom, near clothes that match your gender. Additionally, you can be charged with possession of a firearm by convicted felony if your co-defendant carried a gun in an armed robbery that you were a part of even if you never touched the gun.

So the answer to the age-old question is yes, your spouse can own a gun as long as you don’t possess it- actually or constructively, but to be wary as the distinction is not always clear. If you or a loved one has been arrested for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, call us today for a free consultation on the case at 404-581-0999.