Monthly Archives: September 2026
Automatic License Plate Readers Are Changing Drug Trafficking Investigations in Georgia
Automatic license plate readers can give investigators something they did not have in many older drug cases: a record showing where a vehicle was seen, when it was seen there, and which other vehicles appeared nearby over time. In a trafficking investigation, that information may help police reconstruct travel between cities, identify repeated stops… Read More »
A Shared Home Can Complicate a Georgia Drug Trafficking Investigation
Drugs found inside a home can create immediate suspicion, but a shared residence rarely tells police who actually knew the drugs were there or who controlled them. Police may find a trafficking quantity in a bedroom, closet, kitchen, garage, or another part of the house used by several people. One resident may own the… Read More »
What Are the Penalties for a First DUI Conviction in Georgia?
A first DUI conviction in Georgia carries consequences that extend well beyond paying a fine. Sentencing can include jail time, community service, DUI school, probation, and conditions that continue for months after the court appearance. A driver may also face a license suspension and reinstatement requirements while trying to keep up with work, family… Read More »
A New DUI Arrest While on DUI Probation Can Create Two Problems at Once
A DUI arrest can be stressful under any circumstances. When the driver is still serving probation from an earlier DUI conviction, the new arrest can also bring the prior case back into court. What began as one new criminal charge can quickly involve two separate proceedings. The new DUI must be prosecuted on its… Read More »
How the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test Is Used in Georgia DUI Cases
During a Georgia DUI investigation, an officer may hold a pen, finger, or small light in front of a driver’s face and ask the driver to follow it with the eyes while keeping the head still. The exercise is the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, commonly called HGN. HGN is different from roadside exercises that… Read More »
When a DUI Arrest Happens Hours After the Alleged Driving
A DUI arrest does not always happen during a traffic stop or immediately after a crash. Police may arrive after the vehicle has been parked, locate the suspected driver somewhere else, or begin asking questions long after the driving has ended. By then, much of the evidence normally associated with a DUI investigation may… Read More »
What a Motion to Suppress Can Change in a Georgia DUI Case
A Georgia DUI case often begins long before an officer asks a driver to perform field sobriety exercises or submit to a chemical test. The initial traffic stop, roadside questioning, length of the detention, arrest, chemical testing, and any search warrant can each raise separate legal issues. A motion to suppress asks the court… Read More »
DUI in a Vehicle Using Autopilot or Advanced Driver Assistance
A car that steers, maintains speed, changes lanes, or follows a navigation route can make driving feel very different from sitting behind the wheel of a traditional vehicle. After drinking or taking an impairing drug, that technology can also create a dangerous misconception: if the vehicle is doing much of the work, the person… Read More »
Retrograde Extrapolation and Attempts to Calculate BAC Backward in Time
A blood or breath test taken after a DUI arrest measures alcohol concentration at the time of testing. Prosecutors sometimes want to go further and estimate what the driver’s blood alcohol concentration may have been earlier, including at the time the vehicle was being driven. That process is commonly called retrograde extrapolation. It can… Read More »
Chain of Custody Problems in a Georgia DUI Blood Test
A blood test result can look precise on a Georgia DUI report. The laboratory identifies a blood alcohol concentration or a particular drug, and prosecutors may present that number as objective scientific evidence. Before a laboratory can test anything, though, a vial of blood has to pass through multiple hands and locations. The sample… Read More »