How Much Probable Cause is “Enough” for an Initial Stop? A DUI Arrest? A Blood Warrant? According to Police, it Varies
In the second paragraph of this article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about DUI refusals prompting warrants for blood, there is a telling quote from a Douglas Chief Deputy: “If we have someone refuse, and if we have enough probable cause, we contact a State Court judge and request a search warrant for that person’s blood.” How […]
Read MoreWhen DUI Arrests Go Up, ‘DUI-Related” Collisions Go Down: A Correlation Not Tied to Convictions
In Glendale, California DUI arrests are up 103%. Officer Bryan Duncan, a Glendale policeman awarded for netting around 100 DUI-related arrests this year, is partially responsible for the percentage increase. Duncan is a lauded DUI specialist who received a Traffic Safety Excellence Award from the California Office of Traffic Safety and a Mothers Against Drunk […]
Read MoreSandy Springs Police Department Receives Accreditation, Among 6% of Police Departments Across the Country
In August the Sandy Springs Police Department received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). According to the CALEA chairman, “of 18,000 agencies in the country, less than 1000 are accredited,” which puts the SSPD in a select 6% of police departments across the country. The SSPD was reviewed in operations […]
Read MoreWord of Advice: If Pulled Over and Suspected of DUI, Don’t Say “Ya Got Me!” (At Least Not Out Loud)
We have a page on our site devoted to educating people on what to do when they’re pulled over and suspected of DUI. After this incident, we may have to add a corresponding page, because knowing what to do is equally important as knowing what not to do. A couple of weeks ago a man […]
Read MoreWashington Law Allows State Troopers to Draw Blood, Raises Questions of Probable Cause
A new law in Washington, which took effect on August 1st, allows State Patrol Troopers to draw blood from drivers suspected of DUI. Proponents claim the law will make it easier for repeat offenders to be charged with a felony rather than a misdemeanor at the time of the arrest. In Georgia, officers must obtain […]
Read MoreMILLER V. STATE – A121A000 – Good Cop or Bad Cop, You’re Probably Going to Jail: Keeping Cool in the Hot Seat
At around 3:00 a.m. on May 1, 2010, Scott C. Miller was pulled over for speeding. He was clocked at going 64 m.p.h in a 45 m.p.h zone. When the officer approached the vehicle he noticed a distinct odor of alcohol. The officer asked if Miller had been drinking. Miller responded that he hadn’t had […]
Read MoreAlcopal: The BAC-Reducing Wonder Pill! (WARNING: Side Effects May Include DUI Less Safe Arrest)
Alcopal, a pill that allegedly helps drunk drivers pass breath tests, went on sale in the UK this August. According to Arthur Kibble, a supplier of the pill, Alcopal can reduce an individual’s BAC content around .08%, the legal limit in UK and U.S. The pill has already been banned in the United States. The […]
Read MoreAnother unexpected consequence and cost of a Georgia DUI, you thought you had health insurance? Think again.
This is a true story but the names have been changed to protect the guilty. Your child has a single-car accident. S/he hits a tree. He was injured and taken to a hospital. The police come to the hospital and take blood. S/he is under 21 and has blood alcohol of .022. This is one […]
Read MoreWho Shoulders the Burden of Proof, the Citizen or the State? – The Injustice of Arrest Incentives
It’s disheartening to read about arrest quotas or incentives even if they are legal. But when incentives are based around making specific arrests like DUI, which rely on degrees of subjectivity to provide probable cause and can result in fines, license suspensions, and myriad attorneys fees and insurance hikes, there is even more cause for […]
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