Attorney Peter Zeliff's client has been acquitted of DUI and the underlying traffic offense, failure to maintain lane, in the Forsyth County State Court. His client was found guilty of possessing marijuana, which was found in a search of the vehicle after the arrest.
According to their reports, on June 25, 2016, deputies with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office were on patrol near Mt. Tabor and Matt Hwy. when they noticed a maroon pickup truck fail to maintain its lane several times. Upon speaking with the driver they noticed the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, and watery and bloodshot eyes. When exiting, the driver was slow and stated that while he had had "a couple" of drinks earlier in the evening, he had just woken up and was driving back to where he was staying.
The driver failed all three standardized field sobriety tests (the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk and turn, and one leg stand tests) and refused to take a portable breath test, stating that he was afraid he would fail. Shortly thereafter the driver was arrested and again refused to give a breath sample under Georgia's implied consent law. A subsequent search of his truck yielded approximately 6.1 grams of marijuana which was taken as evidence.
With a thorough cross examination of the arresting deputies, Attorney Zeliff was able to attack the case against his client on all levels, including their account of his client's driving, as well as the administration and performance on field sobriety tests. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a Not Guilty verdict on both the DUI and failure to maintain lane charges, while returning a guilty verdict on the marijuana recovered that evening.
Zeliff | Watson Fights DUI Cases
If you have been charged with DUI or a drug crime in Forsyth County, Georgia, or throughout the Metro Atlanta or North Georgia areas, call our firm 24/7/365 to begin working on your defense. At Zeliff | Watson, we understand that preparation is the key to a successful defense and will analyze your case keeping this in mind from day 1. We can be reached through our site, or at (770) 676-1340.