204 Washington Avenue NE, Marietta, Georgia 30060
Serving Clients in Georgia Over 40 Years
Call now for a FREE Legal Consultation.
770.422.0878
Serving Clients in Georgia Over 40 Years
Call now for a FREE Legal Consultation.
770.422.0878

“Hands Across the Border” Effort Cracks Down on Drivers Suspected of DUI

Police agencies across Georgia continue to crack down on drunk driving, taking part in an effort known as “Hands Across the Border.” The campaign, now in its 27th year, involves state troopers, county sheriffs’ departments and municipal police departments conducting DUI checkpoints along roads and highways throughout the state. This year, the effort ramped up before and during Memorial Day weekend.

Of particular focus of law enforcement agencies were the Savannah area and roads near Georgia’s border with Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. In addition to intoxicated drivers and those engaged in distracted driving, police officers look for drivers who are not wearing their seatbelts and those who commit infractions like speeding or disobeying the rules of the road.

Should DUI checkpoints be legal?

In Georgia, these checkpoints are legal and upheld through state law, and the U.S. Supreme Court determined that checkpoints do not violate individuals’ Fourth Amendment rights in a controversial 1990 ruling.

However, many advocates argue that these checkpoints indeed infringe upon the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Law enforcement officers, they say, should need to have probable cause before they search a person’s private property, such as a motor vehicle. Setting up a checkpoint would seem to violate that principle.

Regardless, DUI checkpoints remain legal in Georgia, and you may face serious consequences if you’re convicted of drunk driving. You may lose your driver’s license, be subject to large fines or spend time in jail. To learn more about your rights when facing drunk driving charges, meet with a skilled DUI defense attorney at the Law Offices of Melvin S. Nash. Call us at 770.422.0878 or contact us online.

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