Smith v State – DUI and the right to a Constitutional Speedy Trial examined
Smith v. State, A16A0519, Georgia Court of Appeals, July 13, 2016. Jason Smith appealed from his conviction of DUI per se as a result of a five-year delay from his arrest on May 5, 2007, to his bench trial on June 1, 2012. The Court of Appeals remanded the case to the trial court despite […]
Read MoreBirchfield v North Dakota – Need a Warrant for Blood test but just an arrest for Breath test
On June 23, 2016, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Birchfield v. North Dakota that the Fourth Amendment permits warrantless breath tests incident to arrest but not warrantless blood tests. This effectively means that police only need to arrest you for DUI to obtain a breath test and if you refuse or can not […]
Read MoreCulpepper v State Refresher – Defendant testimony at a motion hearing is not admissible at trial
Culpepper v. State, 132 Ga. App. 733, 209 S.E.2d 18 (1974) is an old but very important case in criminal law. It stands for the proposition that the testimony of a Defendant in a motion to suppress can not be used against him at trial over objection and its ground for automatic reversal. Culpepper came […]
Read MoreState v. Oyeniyi-Will means May in Georgia DUI Implied Consent
State v. Oyeniyi-A15A1724, Reversed, February 4th, 2016. The State appealed after the Clayton County Trial Court granted Adeshye Oyeniyi’s motion to suppress his DUI Alcohol Breath test results. The Trial Court found that OCGA 40-5-67.1 implied consent notice for suspects age 21 or over is inaccurate, misleading, and overstates the penalty for refusing to submit […]
Read MoreState v Thompson-Constitutional Speedy Trial Lost Blood
State v. Thompson, A15A1626, Vacated and Remanded, Georgia Court of Appeals, November 18, 2015. Lauren Thompson brought a plea in bar concerning her DUI. The Trial Court granted the plea in the bar by finding that her Constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated as the blood sample was lost. The State appealed the […]
Read MoreFarmer v State – asking for a Urine test in response to Implied Consent
In Farmer v. State, 335 GA. App. 679, 782 S.E.2d 786 (2016), the Court of Appeals found that asking for a urine test in response to the Georgia Implied Consent Rights is not a request for an additional test but only requesting that the Officer designate that test. The Court distinguished McGinn v. State, 268 Ga. App. […]
Read MoreMikell GA DDS v Hortenstine – Client pays for Attorney mistake for DUI license appeal
Mikell (Georgia Department of Driver Services v. Hortenstine, A15A1576, Rev, November 17, 2015. Robert Mikell, Commissioner of the Department of Driver Services (hereinafter “Department”) appealed from the Trial Court’s order reversing the Department’s decision to deny as untimely, Jayson Hortenstine’s request for an administrative license hearing under OCGA 40-5-67.1. The Court of Appeals held that […]
Read MoreState v Holt-50 minutes DUI investigative detention is not unreasonable
State v. Holt, A15A1483, Reversed, November 17, 2015. Jamie Sue Holt was arrested in Cherokee County, Georgia by the Georgia State Patrol after police spoke with her at a gas pump at a Kroger Gas Station while investigating another separate DUI incident. On April 28, 2014, a Georgia State Trooper was dispatched to a Kroger […]
Read MoreBrown v State – more than 13 miles too far for independent test
Brown v. State, A15A1425, Affirmed (November 13, 2015). Raymond Brown was arrested for DUI in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Officer Long of the Lawrenceville Police Department stopped Brown after observing him driving erratically. Officer Long performed standardized field sobriety evaluations and arrested Brown for DUI. He read Brown’s statutory Georgia Implied Consent Breath Testing […]
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