Roswell DUI police are always vigilant for impaired drivers. While they may assist distressed drivers, if anyone suspects them of driving under the influence they can also investigate and pursue legal proceedings if necessary.
Supervisors emailed officers on morning watch stating that they must arrest 25 DUIs per year to avoid poor evaluations and transfer to evening patrol. Defense attorneys allege this puts undue pressure on officers to bring cases.
1. A Wrong-Way Driver Gets Arrested
Wrong-way drivers cause devastating head-on collisions on American highways, and can also disrupt traffic patterns and create hazardous situations for all road users. Unfortunately, police cannot prevent wrong-way drivers from entering roadways – their only defense against wrong-way driving is catching them after they have already started driving the wrong way.
Roswell E911 officers quickly responded when reports came in of a vehicle traveling northbound on GA 400’s southbound lanes – as soon as they noticed this activity they quickly responded with officers lighting flashing police lights; upon seeing these, however, the suspect slowed down but soon resumed driving in an antisocial fashion before speeding back up and heading in the opposite direction.
Officers were able to stop the driver near Shiloh Road. Spotting an overwhelming odor of alcohol, they conducted field sobriety tests and concluded that she was impaired.
However, after video footage surfaced showing her flipping a coin to decide whether the speeding driver would be arrested or given a ticket for speeding, this officer was placed on paid administrative leave until an investigation could be completed. That her actions were caught on body camera footage is deeply troubling – clearly an indicator that this officer should no longer serve in law enforcement.
2. A Professional Golfer Gets Arrested
Roswell police and other North Fulton city officers make many DUI arrests. Alpharetta and Milton maintain separate municipal courts; however, their police departments work closely with Roswell officers in making DUI arrests in these cities. DUI arrests are an integral part of Roswell police officers and state troopers’ jobs.
Andrew Scheffler was arrested for driving under the influence near his Valhalla golf course in April 2024, Channel 2 reported. Police saw him crossing into both lanes of Highway 400 before watching him drive directly into Valhalla as traffic was backed up near its entrance.
As soon as an officer attached himself to a vehicle, its driver began slowing and eventually stopped, according to police reports. An officer then ordered the driver out and placed him into handcuffs before arresting him for any possible offenses against the law.
Officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave while this incident is being reviewed. One officer complained of pain, swelling and abrasions to their wrist during this incident.
As well as facing criminal charges in Roswell Municipal Court, individuals charged may also be facing administrative license suspension proceedings through Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings. You have only limited time to request a hearing with this agency in order to protect your driving privileges; our Roswell DUI lawyer can arrange this hearing on your behalf and present evidence that doesn’t meet the burden of proof needed to justify a license suspension action.
3. A Driver Gets Arrested for Speeding
As Roswell hosts many outdoor events and the weather warms up, residents should be mindful that law enforcement will increase DUI traffic stop patrols – including saturation patrols and DUI sobriety checkpoints – with my experience as a Roswell DUI lawyer observing an uptick in traffic stops for speeding violations in particular.
Officers Courtney Brown and Kriste Wilson can be seen discussing whether or not to arrest Sarah Webb for speeding in wet conditions. Wilson suggests using the coin flip app on Brown’s phone as a final arbiter – saying “A [arrest] head, R [release] tail.” When the coin landed on heads, Webb was charged with going too fast for conditions, reckless driving and open container of alcohol.
Two officers were placed on paid administrative leave during an internal department investigation before ultimately being terminated from service. Defense attorneys with expertise in DUI cases note that such quotas place excessive pressure on officers to make arrests, creating legal risks against their department.
If you have been charged with DUI, hiring an experienced Roswell DUI lawyer to defend you in court would be your best defense strategy. Jury trials at Roswell Municipal Court before Judge Hansford are the optimal way to do this; otherwise a qualified DUI lawyer can present their arguments before a judge at a bench trial in Fulton County State or Superior Court and make their arguments that the prosecutor did not meet their burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
4. A Driver Gets Arrested for Driving Under the Influence
Roswell police officers have been accused of employing quotas to increase DUI arrests. Recently, their department sent out an e-mail notifying officers they had set themselves a goal of 25 DUI arrests during the first quarter. Defense attorneys have warned that using such targets puts pressure on officers to arrest suspects more often and may expose the department to legal challenges.
If you have been pulled over on suspicion of DUI in Roswell, an officer will request to conduct blood alcohol content tests as well as field sobriety tests – physical tasks designed to determine whether you may be impaired and fail them will provide more evidence that could indicate impairment.
Dependent upon the details of your case, you may qualify for Roswell Municipal Court’s Pretrial Diversion Program. This option provides first-time offenders an excellent way to take responsibility and avoid having a DUI conviction on their record.
Roswell DUI attorneys with experience are your best chance at getting the desired result for your case. A competent DUI defense attorney knows how to defend against various alleged violations of rights that arise with every DUI charge and fight tirelessly on your behalf for freedom and justice.
