TOUGHER PENALTIES IN DUI / DWI CASES LEADS TO MORE AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE EFFORTS NATIONALLY

Atlanta, GA -- June 14, 1996 -- Tougher penalties and laws surrounding a Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or a DUI/DWI arrest and conviction, are creating a tougher breed of attorneys, who are fighting and winning a large majority of their cases,

State laws vary, but in Atlanta DUI/DWI penalties for a first time offense include, up to a one-year probationary period, 80-hours of community service, mandatory attendance of a DUI/DWI class, alcohol evaluation and fines ranging from $500-$1,000.

The worst penalty of all is an actual criminal conviction record, which remains a part of a person’s record for life. The devastating non-judicial penalties from a DWI conviction are resulting in people seeking specialized legal assistance.

“No longer a crime committed by irresponsible teenagers, most of my clients are well-to-do citizens, professors, doctors, teachers, even other policemen,” says nationally known, Atlanta-based DUI/DWI Attorney, William C. Head. “Today you can go out and have one or two glasses of wine an be arrested for a DUI/DWI.”

Roadblocks, poorly administered and subjectively graded field-sobriety tests, conducted by policeman and tougher DUI/DWI laws, are changing the complexion of a first time offender to that of the average, law-abiding, “baby boomer”.

A controversial network of national DUI/DWI attorneys called the Drinking Driver’s Defense Network, (DDDN) based in Atlanta was founded by, Head. The group consists of 24 attorneys nationally, who focus on winning DUI/DWI cases.

“Due to crackdowns on DUI/DWI’s by the police force, my office stays full and I will typically have 75 to 100 open, pending cases a any time,” says Head. “A substantial percentage of those cases do not receive a DUI/DWI conviction,” he says.

The reason that more people are seeking an experienced DUI/DWI attorney is that the quagmire of new laws are tougher and more complicated -- and so is the decision to arrest a suspect -- leading policeman to make errors, arrest people who should not be arrested -- and therefore not get the desired result of a DUI/DWI conviction.

Head and the DDDN members are not in favor of drunk driving, in fact clients are encouraged to seek alcohol assessment and rehabilitation if they are repeat offenders and almost never repeat the offense. Only a small fraction of those clients who have followed a plan for treatment, ever have another DUI/DWI violation.

“If the MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving) folks would get together and hire someone to simplify the DUI/DWI laws, they could be far more effective in their campaign to rid the highways of drunk drivers and return a sense of normalcy to the average, non-repeat, non-criminal defendant that we support,” he says.

For more information on current DUI/DWI Laws, issues and penalties in your area, as well as, the Drinking Driver’s Defense Network (DDDN) and a copy of “101 Ways to Avoid A Drunk Driving Conviction,” call William C. Head at 404-816-3111.