Posts

My lawyer told me they are hoping to get my DUI reduced. What can I do to help?

You may not know it, but you can play a huge role in helping your lawyer get the best deal possible for you in your DUI case. Many people assume that in their criminal case, they are at the mercy of the lawyers on both sides, and that they just have to wait until they hear something about an offer or a court date. This is not so. You have lots of power to affect the outcome of your case by being proactive and taking steps to complete required or recommended conditions for folks facing a DUI charge. Taking charge of your case by taking the following steps shows the solicitor that you are proactive and cooperative, and illustrates to the judge that you are taking the charges seriously and you want to handle the case quickly and responsibly. So, what can you do?

  1. Think about enrolling in a DDS-certified DUI School or Risk Reduction Class. There are dozens of convenient locations all over the state to choose from. The class is 20 hours long, and it costs $260 to enroll in the course. Many locations allow the class to be taken virtually or on weekends, so you should be able to easily find a location and time that works with your schedule. Click the following link for more information on finding a Risk Reduction class near you. Make sure that you provide the Certificate of Completion to your defense attorney or to the solicitor at your court date to show them that you have already started taking steps to handle your case. https://online.dds.ga.gov/ddsgeorgiagov/locations/certified-dui-schools.aspx
  2. Take a Defensive Driving class. DDS requires those who have been convicted of DUI to take a 6-hour certified Defensive Driving Class, and completion of the class is oftentimes a condition to getting a solicitor to agree to reduce your DUI charge to reckless driving or another lesser charge. The class is 6 hours and costs $95. Even if you have not been charged with DUI, but you have lots of points on your license, taking this class can remove up to 7 points from your license and reduce the cost of a traffic fine by up to 20%. This class also provides participants who complete the course with a Certificate of Completion that you can provide to your attorney or the solicitor in Court. Click the following link to see schools in your area: https://online.dds.ga.gov/ddsgeorgiagov/locations/driver-improvement-schools.aspx
  3. Talk to a professional and have an alcohol and/or drug evaluation. If you have been charged with DUI in Georgia, solicitors often want to make sure that there is not an underlying substance abuse issue. Reach out to mental health professionals in your area and make an appointment with a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. They will have you in to discuss your use of drugs and/or alcohol, and make a recommendation if they believe that, based on your discussions, you need treatment to address alcohol or drug use. Be honest with your counselor so that they can make the best treatment recommendation for you that they can. If you have been recommended treatment, go ahead and begin that recommended treatment. Taking that step to improve your relationship with drugs and/or alcohol can be empowering, and it shows the Court that you recognize that you may have an unhealthy habits, but that you are taking steps to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. We know several excellent professionals if you need any help getting started. Feel free to give us a call at the number below.

We attorneys work hard to make your experience smooth and efficient, but it may feel like your case is moving slowly, and distant court dates can hang over you and weigh you down. Checking one or two of the above items off of your list can help to expedite your case, ensure you get a better offer, and can empower you. You are as much a part of your case as the attorney, and we want you to be involved! We have access to resources and information to help you get through this. We want to help. If you have any questions, please contact our office at (404)-581-0999.

DUI IN COWETA COUNTY

Following a DUI arrest, the State of Georgia has the authority to suspend the driver’s license of the accused in a civil proceeding if one of the following occurs:

  1. After the accused has been arrested for DUI, the arresting officer read the accused the correct “Implied Consent” notice and he/she refused to comply with either a breath, blood, or urine test in order to determine his/her blood alcohol content, OR
  2. The accused consented to a breath, blood, or urine test and the results showed that the blood alcohol content of the accused was above the legal limit.

At this time, the accused has a few options. He/she can either appeal the license suspension or install an ignition interlock device in his/her vehicle for the duration of the suspension. However, the accused MUST make this decision before the deadline is up. The deadline to either install an ignition interlock or appeal a license suspension is 30 days from the date of arrest. If this is not done, there will be a license suspension put in place 45 days after arrest.

In Coweta County, if eligible, and if the accused refused to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test, it is usually advisable to go the ignition interlock device route, instead of appealing the license suspension. If the license suspension is appealed, many police officers in Coweta County will require that the accused plead guilty to DUI in order to dismiss the 1-year license suspension. Therefore, if you have been charged with DUI, and refused the breath, blood, or urine test, and you want to fight your case, it is usually a better option to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle rather than appeal the license suspension.

THE OFFENSE/ PUNISHMENT

After either installing an ignition interlock device, or appealing the license suspension, the accused must also be ready to defend his/her criminal allegations. According to O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391, a person commits driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs when it renders them less safe to drive, the person’s alcohol concentration is 0.08 grams or more at any time within 3 hours after such driving occurred, or there is any amount of an illegal controlled substance present in the accused person’s blood or urine.

The consequences of a first DUI conviction in the last ten years are at least 12 months on probation, DUI classes and courses, and community service. For a second DUI, the consequences are more serious. There is a mandatory sentence of at least 3 days in jail, heightened community service, and a requirement for an ignition interlock to be installed in the accused’s vehicle. Lastly, for a third DUI, there is a mandatory jail-time sentence of at least 15 days in custody.

Due to the severity of the consequences following a DUI arrest, it is imperative to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney. At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, we understand all the possible options for our clients, we are knowledgeable about all direct and collateral consequences of a DUI conviction, and we work tirelessly to advocate for our clients. Therefore, if you have been arrested for a DUI in Coweta County, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

DUI IN GWINNETT RECORDER’S COURT

After the accused has been arrested for a DUI, if one of the following occurred, the accused MUST send the 30-day appeal letter to attempt to save his/her driver’s license:

  1. After the accused has been arrested, an officer on scene read him/her the correct “Implied Consent” notice and he/she refused to comply with either a blood, breath, or urine test in order to determine his/her blood alcohol content, OR
  2. The accused consented to a blood, breath, or urine test and the results showed that the blood alcohol content of the accused was 0.08 grams or more.

If one of the following occurred, it is of vital importance to send the 30-day appeal of the license suspension letter prior to the deadline or risk the suspension of the accused person’s driver’s license. The suspension could last as long as 1 year.

After sending the 30-day letter, the accused must also be ready to defend his/her criminal allegations. The penalties for a DUI conviction are serious, thus, it is imperative to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who understands all the elements of the offense, the affirmative defenses to such a charge, and all possible options for the accused.

According to O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391, a person commits driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs when it renders them less safe to drive, the person’s alcohol concentration is 0.08 grams or more at any time within 3 hours after such driving occurred, or there is any amount of marijuana or other controlled substances present in the accused person’s blood, breath, or urine.

Once the Gwinnett County Police Department or the Georgia State Patrol, depending on the department that arrested the accused, transfers the criminal charge to the Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court, the criminal case will begin at a proceeding known as an arraignment. There are a few options when the case has landed on an arraignment calendar. Such options include:

  • The accused may plead guilty to DUI, which for a first DUI conviction usually will result in 12 months of probation, as well as completion of a Risk Reduction course, at least 40 hours of community service, and a substance abuse evaluation.
  • The accused may plead not guilty to DUI and seek a bench trial with the Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court judge;
  • The accused may plead not guilty to DUI and seek a jury trial. This will result in the case being bound over to the Gwinnett County State Court; OR
  • At arraignment, the accused has the option to speak to the Gwinnett County solicitor in a pretrial conference to discuss other possible options, such as a reduction from the original DUI charge.

Due to the complexity of a driving under the influence criminal case, as well as the related license suspension proceeding, it is of great importance to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who is skilled at defending such allegations. At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, our attorneys are knowledgeable about all possible options for our clients and have vast experience defending such charges. Therefore, if you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Gwinnett County, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Georgia DUI: How many points in a DUI?

In Georgia, a driver’s license will be automatically suspended if engaged in serious traffic violations. Therefore, a DUI does not accumulate any points on your driving record, also called a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) but carries immediate consequences. For a first DUI conviction (for drivers over the age of 21), your license will be suspended for 12 months by DDS (Georgia Department of Driver Services).

 

Ways a driver can reinstate their license after six months:

  • Your license has already been suspended for 120 days;
  • Completion of a state-approved Risk Reduction Program; and
  • Submit a $210 fine for license reinstatement fees.

Note that this reinstatement will depend on your driving history and will permit you to drive to and from work and school and other permissible places.

 

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.

Georgia Administrative License Suspension (ALS) Hearings during the Pandemic

Following a DUI arrest, the State of Georgia has authority to suspend the driver’s license of the accused in a civil proceeding, which is separate from the criminal case, if one of the following occurs:

  1. After the accused has been arrested, the officer on the scene read the accused the correct “Implied Consent” notice and he/she refused to comply with either a breath, blood, or urine test in order to determine their blood alcohol content; OR
  2. The accused consented to a breath, blood, or urine test and the results showed that the blood alcohol content of the accused was above the legal limit.

At this time, the accused has a few options. He/she can either appeal the license suspension or install an interlock device in their vehicle for the duration of the suspension. However, in this blog we will solely discuss the former.

Appeal of License Suspension

In the normal world in which we are not dealing with a global pandemic, following a DUI arrest, if one of the two circumstances above are true, the accused has 30 days from the date of the arrest to file an appeal of his/her license suspension. Due to the concerns and difficulties surrounding Covid-19, the State of Georgia has extended the deadline, which allows the accused to file an appeal within 120 days of arrest. This gives individuals charged with a DUI much more time to consider all their options following their arrest. However, if the appeal is not filed within the new extended deadline then the driver’s license of the accused will be suspended. In Georgia, there are two different types of license suspensions:

  1. 12-month suspension: This is also known as a “hard suspension.” This type of suspension happens if subsection (1) above occurs. In other words, the accused refused to comply with either a breath, blood, or urine test following the reading of the Implied Consent notice. For this suspension, there are no forms of temporary or restricted licenses. If the accused does not file an appeal or fails to install an interlock device within the stated time frame, his/her license will be suspended for an entire year.
  2. 30-day suspension: This type of suspension occurs if the circumstances surrounding the arrest mirror subsection (2) above. This means that the accused consented to a breath, blood, or urine sample and the results of that sample showed that his/her blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. During this 30-day suspension, if the accused attends a Georgia DUI School and pays a reinstatement fee of $210, the accused can obtain a restricted license, and furthermore, have their driver’s license reinstated after 30 days.

At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, we understand that there are grave consequences following a DUI arrest, including the possibility of a license suspension. Therefore, our attorneys are knowledgeable about all possible options for our clients and have vast experience dealing with such appeals. Therefore, if you have been arrested for a DUI and are potentially facing a license suspension, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Georgia DUI by Driver with Out of State License

A Georgia DUI arrest is a serious issue, even, and perhaps especially, for out-of-state drivers. Not only can a mere DUI arrest affect your ability to drive in Georgia, a conviction of DUI can also be reported to your home state and cause a driver’s license suspension. This article will discuss the implications of a DUI arrest and conviction for drivers licensed outside the state of Georgia.

Administrative License Suspension Upon an Arrest

The administrative license suspension (ALS) process begins when the arresting officer takes your driver’s license and issues you a “1205 Form” which acts as a 45 day driving permit upon a DUI arrest. DDS must receive a copy of the 1205 Form from law enforcement before a hearing can be scheduled or a limited driving permit can be issued.

Despite the arrest, the driver’s license is still valid until DDS receives the 1205 Form and 45 days have passed since the 1205 Form was served. The suspension is “pending” once DDS receives the 1205 form until the outcome of the administrative hearing.

There are two approaches to dealing with an administrative license suspension: (1) request a hearing to appeal the suspension; or (2) elect to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. DDS must receive the request for a hearing or application for an ignition interlock permit within 30 actual days (not business days) of the service of the 1205 Form.

Failure to timely file or losing an ALS hearing will cause your driving privileges in Georgia to be suspended in GA (for how long depends on whether you refused the request for a chemical test under the implied consent warning). Importantly, your home state may adopt this suspension for your out-of-state license.

Criminal Conviction Suspension

O.C.G.A. § 40-5-63 provides for the terms and conditions governing the driver’s license suspension for any person convicted of DUI. Upon the first conviction, the suspension period is for 12 months. For drivers licensed in Georgia, you can get a limited driving permit by receiving an “Affidavit of First Conviction” from the sentencing judge which will allow you to drive for certain limited purposes.

However, Georgia law only allows for the DUI suspension of a Georgia driver’s license.  Therefore, technically, an out-of-state driver can only have their privilege to drive in Georgia suspended by a sentencing court.

So, to the extent a Georgia driver is able to obtain a limited driving permit, an out-of-state driver does not qualify for such permit. Furthermore, Georgia will report the suspension to authorities in your home state which may have greater license suspension penalties for DUI than Georgia.

Contact Us

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

Georgia DUI Lawyer – Peach County

If you have been charged with driving under the influence (“DUI”) in Peach County, you have come to the right place.  Our firm has a strong record at successfully defending all kinds of DUIs ranging from alcohol to marijuana to prescription drugs cases.  Peach County is known to aggressively patrol their roads and prosecute these DUI arrests, but their aggressiveness also leads to many wrongful arrests.

 

As with most DUIs, the initial stop of the vehicle is usually based on an alleged violation of some traffic law like speeding or failure to maintain lane.  A technical violation such as window tint or expired tag can also serve as the basis of the stop, but there’s nothing inherently unsafe about a technical violation. Therefore, a skilled defense attorney will argue that a technical violation is not evidence of impaired driving.  If someone is so impaired that they are unable to drive safely, then why is it that the officer could not find one single traffic infraction to support their assumption that you are impaired!?  A very reasonable theory is that you were not impaired, the officer made some false assumptions, and you should be found not guilty of DUI.  Piece of cake, right?  Well, there is actually a lot of training that goes into DUI detection, and your attorney needs to understand that training before he can skillfully use that training against the officer.  The law is constantly evolving, and the training that goes into DUI enforcement is updated every year or two.  So you need a lawyer who has performed the tests himself/herself (in a classroom setting), and you need the best possible DUI attorney in Peach County.

 

So if you have been charged with a DUI in Peach County, then you need to call our office today at 404-581-0999 for your free consultation.

Can I get a DUI if I am under .08 in Georgia?

            Most of us are aware that the legal limit for a DUI for a driver over 21 years old is .08. What comes as a surprise to most, however, is that you can also be charged with DUI even if you were well below the legal limit. How is this possible? You can be arrested and charged with DUI, even if you blew below the legal limit, under Georgia’s DUI Less Safe law. In practice, it is a very common way to be charged with DUI in Georgia.

            Georgia law has criminalized DUIs into a few different categories. The two most common ways to be charged with DUI are DUI Per Se and DUI Less Safe. DUI Per Se occurs when a person is arrested after being alleged to be in control of a moving vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams or more. This means that after he or she was arrested, law enforcement obtained a blood alcohol reading either by a breath, blood, or urine test taken typically at the jail or a hospital.

What happens if I don’t blow or take a breathalyzer?

            In this situation, you can still be charged with DUI Less Safe. DUI Less Safe in Georgia means you were in control of a moving vehicle, after having consumed alcohol, to the extent it made you a less safe driver. Evidence in this situation may not include an actual BAC number, but the State will attempt to prove DUI with other pieces of evidence. For example, the State may bring forward evidence of an odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, open containers, and/or poor performance on field sobriety tests.

            In some instances, if you decline or refuse the breath or blood test at the officer’s request, the police officer will take out a search warrant to take your blood over your objection. In this situation, you can be charged with both DUI Less Safe and DUI Per Se if the BAC comes back as over .08.

What happens if I blow below the legal limit?

            In Georgia, you can still be arrested and charged with DUI Less Safe. This is because a BAC greater than .08 is not a requirement in DUI Less Safe cases. If you blow a .07, a .06, or even a .05, you can and will still be prosecuted for DUI. This seems shocking to some, but we see it happen regularly. The State, in this situation, still has to prove impairment- meaning the prosecutor must still prove you were a less safe driver because of the alcohol.

Georgia’s Law on Alcohol Content

In Georgia, you are Per Se impaired if your blood or breath test shows a result of .08 grams or more. If your BAC is more than .05 but less than .08 grams, there is no inference of impairment. This means it is up to the judge or the jury to consider whether or not you were actually a Less Safe driver or not. In Georgia, a BAC of even less than .04 can get you into court fighting for your life and freedom. In a scenario where the BAC was les than a .04, Georgia law has a presumption that you were NOT impaired. The State can rebut this inference through other evidence in a trial. A different BAC applies in cases where the driver is under 21 years old. In that situation, an under 21 DUI ‘legal limit’ is .02 grams.

We routinely see drivers with a ‘below the legal limit’ DUI have their cases prosecuted. Do not assume that the prosecuting attorney will throw the case out based on having been less than .08 grams. If you were arrested, the State will most likely bring the prosecution’s case with any other evidence they have, even if they do not have a BAC or if the BAC was below a .08 grams.

DUI cases are one of them most litigated cases in Georgia courtrooms. This is because there is so much at stake with a DUI conviction: jail time, lengthy and involved probation sentences, suspended licenses, and a criminal history that cannot be expunged. There are numerous defenses to DUI Less Safe and DUI Per Se cases, no matter what the BAC is or what county you were arrested in. If you or a loved one has been arrested for Driving under the Influence, call W. Scott Smith today for a FREE CONSULTATION at 404-581-0999.

Georgia DUI Law: Binding Your Case Over

A great deal of misdemeanor cases in Georgia, such as DUI, shoplifting, possession of marijuana, and minor traffic infractions begin in Municipal Court. This is because municipal courts exist separately from the State Court system. As an individual sovereignty, the various cities (or “municipalities”) across the state are free to adopt their own laws, called ordinances. These ordinances may or may not also be State law violations. This is the key determination in whether you are permitted to “bind your case over” to State Court. The law controlling whether a case may be bound over will be discussed below.

What does “binding a case over” mean?

Imagine yourself seated in a municipal courtroom appearing for a DUI charge. The judge will instruct you that when your name is called you are to make an “announcement” on what you want to do with your case. The judge will likely say your options are: (1) guilty; (2) nolo contendere; or (3) not guilty. If you answer (3) not guilty, the judge will normally tell you your case will be scheduled for a bench trial in municipal court where the same judge will be deciding your case (rather than a jury). What the municipal court judge often does not tell you is that one of your options in pleading “not guilty” is to request a jury trial on the case. When you request a jury trial, and the charge is eligible to be bound over, the case is then removed from the hands of the Municipal Court and is bound over to the State Court system to the county in which the Municipal Court resides.

For example, if your case begins in the Municipal Court of Atlanta, Municipal Court of Dunwoody, Municipal Court of Alpharetta, or any other Municipal Court within Fulton County, your case will be bound over to Fulton County State Court. Once the case is bound over, the case essentially hangs out in limbo for a while (could be weeks or several months depending on jurisdiction) unless or until the case becomes “accused” in State Court. When a case becomes “accused,” this simply means the State Court (through the prosecutor’s office) has picked up the case and charges have now been formally brought in State Court.

It is important to note that for misdemeanor cases in Georgia, the State has two years to accuse the case measured from the date of arrest. If the case is not accused within this two year period, the State is prevented from prosecuting the matter under the statue of limitations. Also, the State Court prosecutor has the authority to add, amend, dismiss, or reduce the charges. Therefore, the charges in State Court could be different than the ones you were facing in Municipal Court.

There is a great benefit to binding the case over to State Court. Not only are you entitled to a jury trial, but you also have a better opportunity to fight the case through motions challenges. These are largely unavailable in Municipal Court. Furthermore, State Court prosecutors seem to be more receptive to plea negotiations for more serious charges where their Municipal Court counterparts rarely budge. You also get two bites at the apple by starting the case in Municipal Court. If the Municipal Court prosecutor is unwilling to reduce or dismiss the charges, then the decision is easy, bind the case over to State Court and renew negotiations there.

Is My Case Eligible to Be Bound Over? 

Article I, Section I, Paragraph XI of the Georgia Constitution of 1983 guarantees a defendant in a criminal case the “inviolate” right to a “public and speedy trial by an impartial jury.” GA CONST Art. 1, § 1, ¶ XI. However, Georgia courts recognize that some cases are not eligible to be bound over to State or Superior Court by distinguishing crimes, “which are solely violations of local or municipal ordinances[,]” versus crimes where the offense is a violation of an ordinance as well as a misdemeanor under State law. Geng v. State, 276 Ga. 4825 (2002). Where the offense is both a violation of local ordinance and a state level offense, the State Court of the county where the alleged incident took place would have “concurrent jurisdiction” over the case. O.C.G.A. § 15-7-4. If the State Court has concurrent jurisdiction over the matter, then the case is eligible to be bound over.

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 – Necessity Defense to a DUI Charge

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)