We are fighters
who will do everything we can to protect your rights and your future.

The attorneys of Daniels & Rothman, P.C.

Unrepresented Georgia man to serve 15-year jail sentence for DUI

On Behalf of | Feb 27, 2014 | DUI |

A 54-year-old man was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison for drunk driving. This case may be of particular interest to Athens GA residents, mainly because of the severity of the punishment ordered by the court for this man’s DUI offenses. Usually, such lengthy jail sentences are reserved for those accused of intoxication manslaughter after being involved in a fatal car accident.

Fortunately, in this man’s case, he was not involved in any fatal accidents. Rather, he was involved in three separate DUI-related car crashes that occurred on the same day. One of those accidents caused serious bodily injury, requiring four different people to be airlifted to the hospital.

According to police, the first two accidents were hit-and-runs. The last accident was the most serious, causing a 13-year-old boy to suffer two broken legs and a broken arm. Two other victims in the crash suffered broken bones and internal injuries.

The litigation of this man’s DUI case began in 2011, and several different judges have presided over it during the last two years. The accused man was being held in jail the entire time. As a part of the plea bargain he reached in exchange for pleading guilty, the time he has already spent in prison will be deducted from his 15-year sentence.

It should be noted that the man in this case ultimately chose to defend himself. Proceeding with one’s DUI defense without professional legal assistance, in Athens GA or elsewhere, is never advisable. It has been said many times that a man who represents himself has a fool for a client. While that saying may originally have been offered by an attorney, it underscores the point that there are important legal rights and evidentiary issues which are often more properly handled with the counsel of an experienced courtroom advocate.

Source: times-georgian.com, Man gets 15 years for DUI accidents, No author, Feb. 25, 2014

Archives