Many people attending the Super Bowl festivities this week and the Super Bowl game on Sunday in Atlanta, are traveling from out of state. Atlanta offers many opportunities to celebrate on any given day, even more so during the festivities leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl game. The Atlanta City Council announced that alcohol sales in Atlanta will be extended to 4:00 a.m. during Super Bowl week from Monday, January 28, 2019 through February 4, 2019. Also, law enforcement agencies such as the Atlanta Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, and Gwinnett police departments will increase their patrols and sobriety checkpoints to target impaired drivers.
No one plans or intends to get arrested for a DUI, but it happens. If you are from out of town, experienced DUI attorneys at Chestney & Sullivan Law Firm is available to speak with you about your Georgia DUI case anytime -including weekends! We understand that you will need to travel back home when the Super Bowl is over. We can represent you in your Georgia Driving Under the Influence case and will appear on your behalf in most courts in Georgia for your first court date so you don’t have to. In many Georgia jurisdictions, you will not have to appear in court until we tell you to.
If you have been arrested in Atlanta for a DUI, the Atlanta City Detention Center (Atlanta City Jail) and Atlanta Municipal Court have changed their policies regarding bonds pursuant to a city ordinance passed by the Atlanta City Council in February, 2018 to eliminate the “cash bond” practices. Unfortunately that change has impacted folks with the ability to pay a cash bond to get out of jail sooner as all DUI cases now have to appear before a judge for bond (Chapter 62, Article II, Division 1, Section 62-31 of the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances). This means that a person arrested for Driving Under the Influence on Friday in Atlanta, might have to wait until Sunday afternoon to see a judge to bond out before the Super Bowl Game. One silver lining is Mercedes-Benz Stadium is in walking distance from the Atlanta jail, so there is still a possibility of making it to the Super Bowl. If you were arrested late Saturday night, you may or may not make the first appearance calendar in Atlanta on Sunday. The Atlanta City Detention Center is located at 254 Peachtree Street, SW, Atlanta GA 30303. Their phone numbers are 404.865.8001 and 404.865.8010. For bond information, click here. A number of bonding companies are located on Peachtree Street right next to the city jail. Chestney & Sullivan may be able to expedite the bond process to get defendants out of jail sooner.
Call Chestney & Sullivan immediately if you, a friend, or loved one have been charged with a DUI in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia. Action will need to be taken quickly regarding a possible license suspension that is a separate action from the DUI criminal case. We can also discuss defense strategies and begin an investigation into your Georgia DUI charges. Also, important surveillance video footage is not retained for very long in many Georgia jails. If the surveillance video from the jail is not ordered within a very short period of time, it will be lost forever. Some clients may say “great, I don’t want anyone to see my jail video.” However, we often find that jail videos can help us successfully defend DUI’s. If the video is not helpful, by the time the prosecution decides to inquire about jail video, it is often recorded over by the jail, and we are under no duty to disclose or turn over any video that we may have to the prosecution.
It is also important that an investigation is started right away for possible defenses, especially in Atlanta, as court cases move very fast and if a proper investigation is not conducted quickly, negotiations may be hampered in resolving a case to something other than a DUI.
Call us today at 404.816.8777 to discuss your case. You will be glad you did. We are available 24/7. We can also meet face to face for an initial consultation free of charge. Our office is conveniently located in the Buckhead section of Atlanta at 3110 Maple Drive, Suite #103, Atlanta, Georgia 30305.