If you have been arrested in Georgia for a DUI by the Georgia State Patrol Nighthawks, our Georgia DUI lawyers at Chestney & Sullivan are available to discuss your case! Call Chestney & Sullivan today: 404.816.8777
The Georgia State Patrol Nighthawks work with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The GSP Nighthawks receive grants to supplement their budget through federal and state funding, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the H.E.A.T. program (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic), and other sources. The Georgia State Patrol Nighthawks DUI Task Force was created in 2004 in the Atlanta regional area and has expanded since then. The primary goal of the GSP Nighthawks DUI Task Force is to combat impaired drivers/drunk drivers. The Nighthawks frequently utilize programs through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, such as Operation Zero Tolerance, Click it or Ticket, 100 Days of Summer Heat, Hands Across the Border, and others. Operation Zero Tolerance typically runs from mid-June through the July 4th weekend. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety enforces its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over program from August 14 through September 2 (Labor Day) and from mid-December through New Year’s Day. Georgia State Patrol annually enforces its 100 Days of Summer H.E.A.T campaign from mid-May through Labor Day. This year, it is running from May 13 through September 2. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) ran its Click It or Ticket campaign from mid-May through Memorial Day weekend to the beginning of June (May 13 through June 2) and will again run around Thanksgiving. We are seeing increased patrols and checkpoints in Buckhead now that more people are venturing into the bars and nightclubs. Georgia State Patrol even received funding this year to establish a post in Buckhead at the Governor’s Mansion. Here is a recent post from the Georgia Department of Public Safety (Ga DPS) to be responsible and to drive sober:
The GSP Nighthawks regularly patrol Buckhead, Midtown, Virginia Highlands, Interstate 75/85, and Georgia 400 corridors in Atlanta. In the late fall of 2009, the Nighthawks added the Nighthawks DUI Task Force North and Nighthawks DUI Task Force South. The North Nighthawks DUI Task Force extends from Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Atlanta/Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and Athens-Clarke County. The North Nighthawks regularly conduct roadblocks and strategic traffic enforcement after UGA football games. The South Nighthawks Task Force comprises Chatham County (Savannah) and Bulloch County. In 2012, the Nighthawks started a Middle Georgia DUI Task Force encompassing Macon and Columbus.
Like all Georgia State Patrol Troopers, the Nighthawks are trained in DUI detection and have, at minimum, received the 24-hour standardized field sobriety course endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some Nighthawks DUI Task Force Troopers have received additional DUI training, such as ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement) or DRE (Drug Recognition Expert). All Georgia State Troopers are certified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to operate the Intoxilyzer 9000. However, many troopers elect to have blood tests performed instead of the state-administered breath test on the Intoxylizer 9000.
Our Georgia DUI attorneys challenge a GSP Nighthawks DUI case like we would any other DUI case. One of the benefits of a Nighthawks case is that most of their patrol vehicles are equipped with video and audio. Their video equipment has features similar to those of a DVR or TVO, which many people have at home for their TVs. Their equipment is continuously recording but will not preserve anything until the Trooper either manually activates the recording or the Trooper activates his emergency equipment (lights). Then, the video will preserved somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds before activation, and typically, the Troopers will run their video until it is turned off when they reach the jail or their final destination. Videos can be obtained or viewed through the court process.
How our skilled attorneys build a successful DUI defense in Georgia:
To build a strong DUI defense in Georgia, our experienced Georgia DUI lawyers start by learning everything you can from the information you present. Based on this core information, they can find more evidence by using specialized resources as needed to determine if your arrest’s testing and other details were accurate and legal. This determination is the basis for a solid drunken driving defense in Georgia. Our in-house investigator gathers information, videos, 911 calls, possible surveillance videos, police reports, documents, on-road/scene conditions, and more. There are times when we use the services of toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, private investigators, breath test/field sobriety experts, medical professionals, and video illustrators, to name a few, to help build a solid DUI defense in your case. Our lawyers analyze a case from the initial stop or reason why the police were involved, look for suppression issues with the admissibility of field sobriety tests or state chemical tests (breath, blood, or urine tests), and develop strategies on how to conduct best administrative license suspension hearings, preliminary/committal motion hearings, and trial. Our team approach effectively ensures we have covered all the bases in defending your Georgia DUI.
Can I enter a guilty plea myself and avoid hiring a Georgia DUI lawyer?
There is a saying that “a person who represents himself has a fool for a client.” DUI cases are among the most serious instances prosecuted in municipal courts or State Courts. Even if you think you are guilty and may not want to fight your case all the way, there are matters that a skilled Georgia DUI lawyer is better able to handle than someone representing him or herself. Here are some reasons why you may consider hiring Chestney & Sullivan rather than representing yourself:
- You can jeopardize your driving privileges if you go to court and enter a guilty plea. If a Georgia State Trooper has arrested you, you should have been notified of an administrative license suspension action. Enter a guilty plea without adequately addressing the administrative license suspension action. You will not be able to get a limited permit (if you are eligible to get one at all) until the administrative action is closed correctly.
- If your license is administratively suspended for refusing the State Trooper’s chemical test from losing an administrative hearing or failing to address a license suspension action within 30 days from your arrest, your driving privileges will be suspended for a year with NO PERMIT. Properly coordinating and handling the Georgia DUI criminal charges and the administrative license suspension action can improve your chances of being able to drive.
- Other charges, in addition to your Georgia DUI charge, may be more severe and carry more punishment than the DUI charge.
- Sometimes, the prosecutor gives a bad plea recommendation. Even if you decide not to contest your case, an experienced DUI attorney who is familiar with Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb Counties can assess a plea offer to determine if it is worth taking or moving your case to state court, or you may decide to take the case to trial.
- If you decide to represent yourself at trial, the Georgia Rules of Evidence still apply. Lawyers go to law school for years to learn these rules, and you will be at the mercy of a skilled prosecutor and judge if you are not careful.
Call our experienced Georgia DUI lawyers today:
If you are facing a Georgia State Patrol DUI charge or license suspension action or have been ticketed for a serious traffic offense, contact our experienced Georgia DUI lawyers today. We will meet with you free of charge to discuss your options and provide advice based on our experience in the court, where your case will be heard. Contact us today at 404.816.8777. Our Georgia DUI lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to discuss your case.