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Georgia Drunk Driving News
Sunday Beer Run Leads to Georgia DUI
Suspect racks up several crimes in Cherokee County.
Robert Keefer Dell walked into a convenience store in Canton Georgia to purchase a six-pack of Michelob beer. Sales of alcoholic beverages are not allowed on Sunday though that did not stop Dell from ripping the neon orange tape stretched across the coolers and grabbing the beer. The clerk tried to stop him, explaining to his regular customer that he would get in trouble if he sold him the beer. Dell responded by placing $6 on the counter and walking out of the store. When the clerk followed him, things went from simple shoplifting to an escalating series of crimes.
Dell lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun in his waistband. That made the offense an armed robbery, a felony in Georgia. Dell then fled into the neighboring county where he led Georgia State Patrol and Pickens County deputies on a chase. Dell struck one patrol car and attempted to run over an officer. He was eventually stopped when officers rammed his truck.
Dell was booked at the Pickens County jail on charges of fleeing police, aggravated assault and driving under the influence in Georgia. He also faces a warrant for armed robbery in Cherokee County.
The store clerk said he thought something was wrong when Dell stumbled around the store and grabbed the Michelob instead of his usual Natural Ice. Dell also didn't put down enough money for the $8.99 six-pack of Michelob.
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Police Officer Charged with Georgia DUI
Officer arrested for drunk driving in Gwinnett County after accident.
A Gwinnett County police officer was charged with driving under the influence in GA early Saturday morning following a minor accident. Around 1:15 am, James Stoudenmire ran his 2006 Ford Mustang into the back of a vehicle stopped at a red light. The responding officers detected alcohol on Stoudenmire’s breath and reported that he was unsteady during field sobriety tests.
Stoudenmire, who was off-duty, said that he had consumed four drinks, starting at 4:00 pm Friday. He was charged with Georgia DUI and for following a vehicle too closely. While being booked, Stoudenmire stumbled and fell against the wall across from the holding cell.
A passenger in the other vehicle received minor leg injuries and was treated and released at the scene.
Stoudenmire, 27, had been placed on administrative leave. When the department's Professional Standards Unit recommended termination, Stoudenmire decided on Wednesday to submit his resignation. He was a four year veteran with the Gwinnett County police department.
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Georgia DUI Charges Against NASCAR Team Owner Dropped
Billy Ballew had been arrested for drunk driving in Atlanta before a race.
The Henry County Solicitor elected to drop the charges against NASCAR team owner Billy Bellew. Ballew was stopped on the Atlanta Motor Speedway grounds last March by a Henry County sheriff’s deputy. The officer spotted a mixed drink in the vehicle and, after Ballew refused to submit to a breath test, an arrest for driving under the influence in Georgia was initiated.
The county solicitor elected not to press GA DUI charges after learning that Ballew had not been driving erratically and the deputy did not indicate that he had detected alcohol. The solicitor indicated there was not enough evidence to justify the traffic stop.
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NASCAR Team Owner Charged with Georgia DUI
Billy Ballew was on the Atlanta Motor Speedway grounds with a mixed drink in his car at the time of the GA drunk driving arrest.
NASCAR team owner Billy Ballew was arrested for driving under the influence at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He was driving a friend from his condo to the passenger's motor home when he was stopped. Both the condo and the motor home are on the property of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ballew acknowledged that he had a mixed drink in his vehicle and then refused to submit to a breath test.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Department reported that the officer arrested Ballew around 7:45 Wednesday night. Ballew was booked at county jail on charges of drunk driving in Georgia. Ballew strongly contests the arrest, saying the officer was “an irate cop” wearing a 'Security' cap.
A former stock car driver and team owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Ballew is well known in truck racing circles. He has used a series of high-profile drivers over the years, including John Andretti, Kyle Busch, Geoffrey Bodine and Martin Truex Jr.
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Budget Cuts Slow Processing of Georgia DUI Cases
Georgia's State Crime Lab in Augusta has huge backlog due to cuts in operating budget.
Due to budget cuts and consolidation of forensic and medical examiners locations, The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Augusta has been forced to service an additional five new counties. That brings the total number of counties under its jurisdiction to 19, straining blood testing at the lab. That in turn has affected the processing of evidence in cases of suspicion of driving under the influence in Georgia.
The average processing time for a blood test was four to five weeks before the additional caseload was assigned to the Augusta lab. Now the average is 12 weeks, with some cases taking as long as 25 weeks. Prosecutors can not proceed with cases of Georgia DUI without toxicology results and the criminal justice system has slowed dramatically.
The budget cuts that lead to the increased workload at the Augusta facility were due to a shortfall in state revenue that has been described as “the worst..ever seen.”
If you have been arrested for GA DUI you need to hire an experienced Georgia DUI Lawyer.
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Grants Provided for Two Georgia DUI Programs: Nighthawks and ALS
Grant from the Georgia Governor will fund two State Patrol programs that target GA drunk driving: Nighthawks and ALS.
The Georgia State Patrol has received a grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to fund two DUI related programs. One is the 'GSP Nighthawks' which focuses on drunk driving identification and enforcement and the other is an ALS initiative that helps officers provide testimony during driver's license suspension hearings. Both Georgia DUI programs were started in 2004, and the new funding assures to their continuation in the coming year.
GSP Nighthawks is a team of officers that has received specialized training in the identification of a suspected drunk driver. Nighthawk patrols focus on DUI enforcement in Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton Counties in the Atlanta metro area. The state troopers have arrested 679 motorists for drunk driving in Georgia so far in 2008. Last year the team made a total of 1,054 arrests for drunk driving. The Nighthawks Task Force has been recognized internationally as the best DUI enforcement initiative in North America.
The ALS program prepares troopers for license suspension hearings. Under Georgia DUI law the state may seek to administratively suspend a motorist's driver's license following an arrest for DUI. This is a separate action from the criminal DUI case which is addressed through the court system. The motorist is afforded the opportunity to challenge the suspension by requesting an Administrative License Suspension hearing. The Georgia State Patrol program provides training, legal assistance and even legal representation to officers for the hearing. The program also conducts research and helps with the filing of motions relevant to the license suspension.
Statistics indicate that one third of traffic fatalities in Georgia can be attributed to alcohol impairment. The objective of the GSP Nighthawk and ALS programs is to reduce that figure.
You should never drink and drive. Just because you have been arrested for drunk driving doesn't mean your guilty. If you have been charged with drunk driving in Georgia you will need to hire a DUI lawyer in Georgia that can represent you on your DUI criminal charge and your ALS hearing.
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College Football Player Charged with Georgia DUI
University of Georgia player charged with drunk driving hours after game.
Brandon Wood, a backup defensive tackle with the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team, was arrested early Sunday morning for drunk driving in Athens, Georgia. Wood had played in the team’s win over Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon.
Wood said he was picking up his girlfriend and her friends from downtown Athens. He left his parking lights on while waiting and forgot to turn on his headlights during the drive back to east campus. After being stopped for driving while lights are required by campus police around 3:40 am Sunday morning, Wood was charged with driving under the influence in Georgia.
Head coach Mark Richt said that Wood, while 21 and of legal age to drink, made a “bad error in judgment”. The Georgia Athletic Association policy says that an athlete who commits a first-offense violation of alcohol rules will be suspended for 10% of the season. Wood, a red-shirt sophomore who has played in all seven of Georgia’s games this year, will not be playing in the upcoming game against LSU.
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New Law Increases Penalty for Georgia DUI
Legislation calls for felony charges for repeat offenders.
The General Assembly passed legislation earlier this year increasing the consequences for driving under the influence in Georgia. The new rule aims at severely penalizing repeat drunk driving offenders.
Starting July 1, a fourth arrest for Georgia DUI within 10 years will be filed as an automatic felony. The first two offenses will be misdemeanors and the third will be an aggravated misdemeanor with increased fines. If found guilty, a felony arrest can result in a jail sentence of one to five years.
First time offenders will also be affected by the new law. In addition to enrolling in a driving program, paying fines and completing community service, those charged with drinking and driving in Georgia must undergo an evaluation for alcohol abuse and attend a treatment program.
A state representative hopes the penalties will keep Georgia DUI offenders from making the mistake again.
If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Georgia you need a qualified GA DUI Lawyer.
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Driver in Dramatic Rescue Charged with DUI in Georgia
Atlanta man Richard Sissons had crashed through seventh floor parking garage barrier.
Yesterday the news media flashed images of a dramatic rescue taking place in Atlanta. Richard Sissons reportedly had passed out and crashed through the steel cables that created the edge barrier of a Buckhead area parking garage. Only a few cables were preventing Sissons’ Ford Taurus from dropping 200 feet to the street below. Inside the vehicle, Sissons was motionless after having hit his head on the steering wheel.
Firefighters first determined that Sissons was alive and then lowered a man upside down to break through the passenger window, enter the vehicle, place a harness around Sissons and lift him to safety. A fire captain said the rescue was “one for the history books”, as he reflected on the probability that the cables could have given way at any time or the car simply dislodged and fallen.
Sissons, 36, was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for a shoulder cut. He was determined to be intoxicated and was charged with Driving Under the Influence in Georgia and damage to property. Police suspect that Sissons was speeding in the parking structure before losing control and crashing through the cables.
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Club Military Base Aimed at Reducing Georgia DUI
Fort Stewart opens club to curb drunk driving by soldiers
The lure of Savannah, Georgia, with its late night bars and dance clubs, meant potential trouble for the soldiers at Fort Stewart. An evening of fun the 45 mile return drive to the base could lead to a Georgia DUI or a drunk driving fatality. Commanders at the US Army post recognized the problem and decided to pursue a novel solution. They opened an on-base club.
$300,000 was spent converting a closed sports bar into Rocky’s, a bar and nightclub meant to compete with the party scene of Savannah. A DJ keeps the dance floor full with a loud sound system and synchronized lights. The main bar area has 18 flat-screen TVs and 10 video-game kiosks. There is also a mini-theater where patrons can watch DVDs on a 120-inch screen with surround-sound speakers.
Besides offering alcohol and dance, the commanders knew there was another necessary ingredient for the club’s success. They eased base access restrictions so civilians, especially women, could party at Rocky’s.
“We never want to glamorize alcohol, but we’ve got to be realistic about this,” said Garrison Commander Col. Todd Buchs, “If we know they’re going to drink, let’s provide a safe place for them to drink so we know they’re going to be alive the next morning.”
That concern is well founded, as traffic deaths among soldiers nationwide has risen 28 percent since soldiers began returning from the war in Iraq. Alcohol was involved in the deaths of at least seven of the 13 Fort Stewart soldiers killed in traffic accidents in 2006, Buchs said.
It has been nearly five months since Fort Stewart, home of the 19,000-soldier 3rd Infantry Division, has recorded a traffic death. Many consider Rocky’s, which opened last November, to be a contributing factor.
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