Another Deputy Charged with DUI

A Gwinnett County Sheriff's Deputy was arrested last week after getting into an accident in which he rear ended another vehicle. A Trooper for the Georgia State Patrol arrested Officer Douglas Mattox for drunk driving ( DUI ) in Walton County on Georgia Highway 10. Mattox has been a deputy with Gwinnett since 2008. He resigned from his position on Friday. After responding to the accident, the arresting State Trooper suspected Mattox of being under the influence according to sources. The Trooper who has the choice of electing which state administered chemical test (blood, breath, or urine) to request of the driver accused of DUI, elected to ask Officer Mattox to take a blood test. Officer Mattox agreed to submit to a blood test and the results are still pending with the crime lab. According to reports, the Trooper believed Mattox to be under the influence of prescription medications at the time of the accident. Mattox was driving a county owned vehicle and hit the vehicle in front of him which then proceeded to hit the vehicle in front of it. One of the drivers complained of injuries but declined an ambulance.

While DUI arrests are probably most common for those suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, one can also be DUI for driving under the influence of drugs. A DUI - drugs offense can be even more serious than a DUI - alcohol offense in terms of the consequences on your Georgia drivers license. Even if you are lawfully prescribed a medication, a DUI officer can arrest you for driving under the influence if he or she believes that the medication is impacting your ability to drive and making you a less safe driver in any way.

If you are facing a DUI charge Georgia, call Fulton County DUI lawyer Richard Lawson. Mr. Lawson has been practicing law for years exclusively in the area of DUI defense and gets his clients the best possible results in their DUI cases. Call him today for a free case analysis.