Category Archives: DUI
Sleeping It Off in Your Car Can Still Lead to a Georgia DUI Charge
Pulling over after realizing you should not continue driving may feel like the responsible choice. Someone who parks, turns off the car, and falls asleep may believe the risk of a DUI ended when the vehicle stopped moving. Waking up to an officer knocking on the window can be a confusing way to learn… Read More »
Can You Appeal a DUI Conviction in Georgia? What Appellate Review Can Challenge
A DUI conviction can feel like the point where every disputed issue has already been decided. Yet Georgia law provides appellate review in appropriate cases, and the work after conviction looks very different from the defense presented at trial. Attention shifts from persuading a judge or jury about what happened on the road to… Read More »
What DUI Probation Looks Like After a Georgia Conviction
A DUI case can feel as though it reaches its endpoint when the judge announces the sentence. For many people, though, probation is the part of the case that follows them into ordinary life. Work schedules, family responsibilities, travel, appointments, community service, classes, and treatment requirements all have to fit around conditions imposed by… Read More »
Rising Blood Alcohol and DUI Tests Taken Long After a Stop in Georgia
A DUI chemical test produces a number at a particular point in time. When a driver is stopped shortly after leaving a restaurant, bar, party, or other gathering and the breath or blood test comes much later, that number may reflect a different stage of alcohol absorption than existed while the person was actually… Read More »
DUI After a Serious-Injury Crash Requires More Than a Routine DUI Defense
A DUI arrest after a serious crash can feel very different from the kind of case people usually picture when they hear “DUI.” There may be ambulances at the scene, extensive vehicle damage, hospital treatment, multiple witnesses, and investigators trying to reconstruct a few critical seconds before impact. By the time charges are filed,… Read More »
Can Police Make a DUI Stop for Weaving Within a Lane in Georgia?
Drivers rarely hold a perfectly straight position in a traffic lane for every second of a trip. A car may drift slightly on a curve, move away from a rough patch of pavement, or require a small steering correction. When a police officer sees the movement and begins following the vehicle, however, the same… Read More »
Medical Conditions Can Affect Field Sobriety Test Performance in Georgia DUI Cases
A roadside DUI investigation can move quickly. An officer asks a driver to step out of the vehicle, gives a series of instructions, and watches closely for a missed step, raised arm, loss of balance, or unusual eye movement. Those observations may later appear in the arrest report as signs of impairment. For a… 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 »
