If you have been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol in Georgia, you face serious criminal penalties, including possible jail time and high fines. Certain counties, such as Gwinnett County, have DUI courts that allow for treatment rather than or in addition to the o...

When most people think of an arrest for driving under the influence (DUI), an image of a drunk driver swaying across the road comes to mind. If told the driver was under the influence of drugs or pills, most people envision illegal drugs, like marijuana or cocaine. It is, however, entirely possib...

At least five people were injured earlier this month when a charter bus traveling from Gwinnett County to the Masters Tournament overturned on Interstate 20. According to reports, the bus began to veer off the highway when the bus driver, a 61-year-old Gwinnett County man, overcorrected and cause...

As part of a DUI investigation law enforcement officers typically ask the suspect driver to submit to a chemical test, such as a breath test or a blood test in order to determine the drivers level of impairment. If a driver refuses, he or she can face penalties including license suspension and h...

Even those who make the law are not above it, but every reasonable request with solid grounds to dismiss a DUI charge should be wholeheartedly considered. South Carolina senator and ethics chairman Paul Campbell was charged with driving under the influence last Fall. He was likewise accused of sw...

A suspected drunk driver has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence (DUI) in the death of a Gwinnett County woman. WSB-TV 2 reports that Lisa Cox was killed when Marvin Bonilla hit her vehicle head-on last Saturday. Bonilla was reportedly driving the wrong way on Ga....

Laws should be passed in order to rectify or prevent some form of wrongdoing that has been proven to be a problem in the world. Additionally, those laws should specify a feasible way for police to detect the crime, minimize the ability of police to abuse their powers while enforcing the law, and ...

In October 2017, the Georgia Supreme Court handed down a decision that could have widespread implications in Georgia DUI cases. The case, Olevik v. State, deals with the right against self-incrimination and whether the Georgia state constitution “prohibits law enforcement from compelling a person...

In most states, there is a set period of time that can be used when determining how many prior convictions a defendant has. For a DUI case, the “look back” period will depend on the laws of the state. For example, in Georgia, the number of prior driving under the influence convictions is determin...

In an unusual case, a man was given Narcan to counteract an overdose and police stated that because of this they were unable to charge the “obviously impaired driver with DUI.” Earlier this summer, a man (who was not identified in news reports) was spotted driving erratically down Georgia 92 west...

Never underestimate the power of contrition in the courtroom. Although the defendant in a recent DUI case was not able to elude harsh sentencing by expressing remorse to the judge, he was notably commended for it, and it may have helped him avoid harsher sentencing. In an interesting approach, Ro...

After decades aggressive ad campaigns and anti-DUI enforcement and with the addition of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft into the fray, drunk driving statistics have seen a drastic decline. Some DUI attorneys have been forced to reach to other practice areas due to the comparative dearth of ca...

In the course of 33 years, Dean Hermsen of Renton, Washington accrued 11 DUI convictions. Earlier this month, he found himself in the midst of another DUI investigation after he was found driving impaired on Interstate 5 by Washington State Patrol. Just five months prior, Hermsen was released fro...

Last month, footage surfaced of former Dynasty star Linda Evans' arrest for driving under the influence, near her Washington state home. The footage was unearthed somewhat belatedly, as the arrest took place in May of 2014. Police dash cam footage was released exclusively by online publication Ra...

Birmingham woman Venita Kimber, 46, is facing additional charges after accusing a police officer of raping her during her arrest. She has been charged with making a false report to law enforcement, in addition to charges of a DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and escape. On January 24th, poli...

They operate in two wildly different spheres - the real world and cyberspace - but social media and the road have frequent interplay, and the aftermath of that interplay is usually quite severe. Being cognizant of how social media can impact your roadside affairs could save your driving record fr...

There is an abundance of new technology being developed by various companies for motor vehicles. In the past decade, and especially in recent years, many new safety features have been added to cars, trucks, and SUVs in order to help drivers avoid getting into an accident. For example, backup came...

Every day people are arrested for driving under the influence. While police officers have clues and circumstantial evidence that people are intoxicated such as slurred speech, driving erratically, or bloodshot eyes, direct evidence is often provided by blood alcohol tests. These tests, which meas...

The case Williams v. State was decided in March of last year by the Georgia Supreme Court. It discussed whether or not a suspect's consent to a DUI test was voluntary. The court's decision and the ruling of several lower court judges has resulted in chemical test evidence being suppressed where t...

DUI defense is a complex field of law. That's why it is imperative to elicit the help of a skilled, knowledgeable defense attorney. At The Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson, we are dedicated to providing top-tier legal advocacy for DUI defendants and want to help people like you avoid the conseque...

You are innocent until proven guilty, and DUIs are no exception. You may have tested at or above the legal limit of .08 percent on a breath or blood test, you may have failed field sobriety tests, and law enforcement may even have witnessed you driving erratically. None of this means anything un...

DUI checkpoints (also called sobriety checkpoints) are legal in the state of Georgia. Local law enforcement will typically schedule these checkpoints during holiday weekends because statistically, there are more drunk driving accidents during these times. DUI checkpoints must be announced, which ...

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 21 states. Two of these states, Washington and Colorado, have legalized the recreational use of marijuana as well. In Georgia, marijuana possession is still a misdemeanor (if 1oz or less), and consequently, it is against the law to drive with cannabis in yo...

DUI is a serious enough charge, but a drug related DUI could be even worse. At the Gwinnett County Law Offices of Richard S. Lawson we also specialize in drug related DUI. This is all magnified when your career may be at stake. For example in April 2012, there was a lot of press about a teacher ...

While you should enjoy your Cinco de Mayo plans this Saturday, be mindful of aggressive Gwinnett County DUI enforcement. For the first time in five years, Cinco de Mayo falls on a weekend. This means police that Gwinnett County officers, as well as law enforcment from cities such as Lawrenceville...