About Drugs & DUI Cases

If drug usage (whether legal or illegal drugs) such as marijuana has caused your driving to be impaired, you could be charged with DUI. Even if you are on medication that has been legally prescribed, you could still face charges. If law enforcement determines that your driving is dangerous to those around you due to drugs or medication in your system, you will be arrested and charged with a DUI offense. A Gwinnett County attorney that is familiar with these types of cases could be able to help you.

DUI Attorney Serving Lawrenceville

In recent years our society as a whole has seen a great increase in people taking daily medications for conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, depression and many more. As anti-drinking and driving campaigns have served to effectively reduce the numbers of drunk drivers on the roads, in contrast, the amount of medicated drivers has vastly increased in the last few years.

Attorneys across the nation have seen a great increase in the numbers of DUI drug arrests. In the past alcohol was presumed as the reason people were arrested for DUI; however, nowadays police officers have expanded their roadside assessments to include those driving under the influence of legal and illegal substances. This includes lawfully prescribed medications and over-the-counter cold, cough and allergy medications as well.

The police have a tremendous amount of discretion when it comes to assessing a driver's impairment from a drug. Often times their assessments are based on little more than field experience or gut instincts. Many times these assessments are wrong. This is a cause for concern because there aren't any quantifying measurements of any illegal or legal drug and how they impair a person's ability to drive. Even if a blood test shows a high level of a certain medication, neither a toxicologist nor a crime lab witness can state that the level of the drug was enough to impair the driver. This proves very valuable for the defense.

Unlike alcohol-related DUI cases where the prosecutor has the crutch of the .08% legal limit, DUI drug cases just don't have the studies or the research to quantify any amount of any drug and how it impairs driving ability. As Gwinnett County's preeminent DUI law firm, we stay abreast of all recent developments or lack thereof in DUI law. We are able to use weaknesses in the prosecution's cases to our client's advantage at all times and DUI drug cases are no exception.

Richard S. Lawson is a former DUI prosecutor and, as such, has an extensive understanding about how the prosecution's case against you will proceed. This allows the legal team to move fast with your defense. No person charged with a DUI with drugs offense should proceed without legal representation from a DUI defense lawyer from the firm.


Contact a Gwinnett County Drugs & DUI lawyer today for dedicated legal guidance.