NFL player Michael Vick’s brother has been arrested on drunk driving charges in Forsyth County. The 29-year-old man was arrested just outside of Atlanta in late December after a routine stop for expired tags. Sheriff’s officers allege that they asked the man if he had been smoking marijuana. Allegedly, he admitted to smoking the drug just prior to operating his vehicle, which prompted the DUI arrest.
Reportedly, a passenger inside the man’s vehicle confirmed that they had been smoking pot just prior to driving. According to police, Vick’s brother consented to taking a blood test for drugs and alcohol. He was subsequently transported to the hospital where the test was administered and was then taken to jail, where he was booked at 4:20 a.m.
The famous football player’s brother has been charged with driving a motor vehicle with an expired registration, not having a license and DUI. As of Dec. 30, he was still being held in a detention center in Forsyth County. He had yet to post his bond of $4,130.
It is common for some Georgia residents to be pulled over for an expired registration and subsequently arrested for other violations. If a police officer smells the odor of drugs or alcohol in the vehicle, the officer may suspect that the driver was driving under the influence or that there are controlled substances in the vehicle. With proper cause, police can search a vehicle or seek to administer field sobriety tests and/or blood tests or Breathalyzer tests to determine if the driver is DUI.
For these and other reasons, it is important for Georgia drivers to keep their vehicle registrations up to date. There are a number of legal defense strategies available to those accused of DUI charges in Georgia. While it is preferable to avoid getting pulled over, those that do end up accused of a crime have every right to defend themselves in court and fight for the best result according to the actual facts of the case.
Source: wtkr.com, Marcus Vick arrested for DUI in Georgia, Becca Mitchell, Dec. 31, 2013