Alabama DUI Lawyer Blog

It’s not uncommon for even a single drunk driving conviction to alter a person’s entire life. This may seem hard to believe for many people, but as a Birmingham drunk driving defense attorney I have seen the tremendous impact that DUI arrests and convictions have on some individuals. This is especially true for people who have intimate contact with certain segments of the population, such as school teachers, police officers, and state and local officials.

Even in an instance of a first-time DUI offense, a person accused of driving under the influence of alcohol must consider the long-term consequences. This is why I always suggest that a motorist arrested for driving while intoxicated consult an experienced drunk driving lawyer.

Not long ago, an Alabama teacher all but admitted to driving to school one morning while impaired by alcohol. The man, who had previously been named Teacher of the Year, is also accused of sex abuse. While he essentially told the local prosecutor’s office that authorities could probably prove that he drove drunk, news reports stated that the man did not plead guilty to any wrongdoing.

Still, based on police reports, Charles M. Lewis allegedly had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.11 percent when he attempted to drive to a teacher in-service day at Causey Middle School just after the New Year. According to Alabama State Troopers, Lewis was involved in a traffic accident just after 6am on January 4 in Baldwin County.

As a result, a Baldwin County district court judge assessed the teacher with a $600 fine and sentenced him to 24 months of probation. In addition, the court set an order forbidding Lewis from entering bars or liquor stores. In response, the man’s attorney reserved the right to appeal the case.

Whether or not this incident will affect the man’s future career as a teacher has yet to be seen, however the recent accusations of sexual misconduct may cause him more trouble. According to reports, Lewis faces charges that he gave a 9-year-old boy alcohol and sexually touched the child in his home in July 2009 -- that particular complaint led to other students’ parents coming forward with their own accusations.

‘Teacher of the Year’ Guilty Of DUI, WKRG.com, March 17, 2010

Sometimes it is interesting to see how reality tracks with local laws. As a drunk driving defense lawyer representing folks in Jefferson, Shelby, Cullman and surrounding counties, I frequently see how DUI arrests occur in supposedly dry Alabama counties. The question is whether or not selling alcohol in one area translates to the instances of arrests of motorists allegedly driving while intoxicated.

Regardless of the statistics, anyone who is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, or arrested for prescription drug DUI, should not hesitate to contact a qualified legal professional. There are many reasons to have a drunk driving defense attorney by your side in cases of DUI, not the least of which include the possible loss of your job and marriage difficulties.

A recent article discusses the alarming percentage of binge drinking highest in dry Alabama counties. The writer describes one resident of Cedar Bluff, an unemployed 22-year-old, as typical of the many people in the “nominally dry” Cherokee County, who are usually looking for a drink.

Based on the article, 15 percent of people in Cherokee County were reportedly involved in binge drinking during the past 30 days -- this was based on a survey conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The definition of binge drinking is men who consumed at least five drinks, and women four drinks, in less than two hours. This kind of activity usually results in a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of at least 0.8 percent.

At that particular consumption rate, Cherokee County would tend to rank at the top of the so-called hard-drinking areas of Alabama. But this apparently comes as little surprise to certain organizations that track alcohol consumption within Alabama. Based on reports, a number of dry counties have binge drinking rates higher than the state average.

While this may seem to implicate Alabama as a heavy drinking state, there is good news. According to national statistics, ours is a relative teetotaler among states. In fact, upper Midwest states have the highest occurrences of binge drinking while Southern states generally have among the lowest.

Binge drinking highest in dry Alabama counties, AL.com, March 21, 2010

In my work as a Birmingham, AL, drunk driving defense lawyer, I know how serious a fatal drunken driving arrest can be. Anytime a motorist is put on trial for a fatal alcohol-related traffic accident, the cards are already stacked against that person. Such would appear to be the case for a 71-year-old driver who was allegedly intoxicated when his truck struck and killed a U.S. Marine traveling to meet family in Alabama.

According to news reports, police issued several warrants for the arrest of Bruce Joseph Quayle following the early March death of a 21-year-old Marine lance corporal and severe injury of the soldier’s 19-year-old wife. The warrants for Quayle’s arrest include vehiclular homicide, serious injury by vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and driving on the wrong side of the road.

The crash that killed Lance Corporal Gregory Suedmeyer occurred on Mach 13 when, according to witnesses, Quayle's ‘08 Chevy Silverado collided with the Suedmeyer's car head-on as they were riding westbound on I-20. Suedmeyer wife, Katelyn, received serious injuries during the accident. Police reports show that the couple’s dog was killed in the fatal DUI wreck.

Lance Corporal Suedmeyer, whose family is from the Huntsville area, was transported to Grady Hospital where he died not long after from injuries sustained in the crash. Katelyn Suedmeyer was transported by air ambulance to a local hospital where she was listed in critical but stable condition a few days later.

Quayle reportedly was transported to another local hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Police said that the warrants for Quayle’s arrest would be served as soon as the man was released from the hospital.

Warrants issued against man accused of Marine's death, WAFF.com, March 18, 2010

No matter where you live in Alabama, when a drunk driving traffic accident becomes a fatal car crash the stakes rise considerably for the person arrested and charged with that wreck. As a Birmingham DUI defense lawyer, my job is to represent individuals arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs. The state of Alabama and law enforcement agencies have become very strict about motorists stopped for driving while intoxicated; much more so with those who have allegedly caused injury or death to another individual while driving in an intoxicated condition.

Recently, an out-of-state driver was taken into custody by Lee County police following a fatal accident on Shug Jordan Parkway in Auburn, AL. According to news reports, 18-year-old Michael M. Madkins was booked into the Lee County Detention Center on DUI charges. Several days earlier he had been admitted to the East Alabama Medical Center for injures he sustained in the crash.

Police said that Madkins was driving his SUV east on the parkway near Wire Road when he reportedly lost control. The driver’s Land Rover Discovery rolled over several times causing the driver and two passengers to be thrown from the truck.

One passenger, 19-year-old Garrett Schlichtemeier, died about eight hours after the crash, caused according to reports by a severe closed-head injury. The other passenger, 18-year-old Tyler Perri survived the ordeal, as did the Madkins.

The deceased man and Madkins were both members of the football team at Chadron State College in Chadron, NE. Police believed that the trio were on their way to a spring break gathering in Spanish Fort and had stopped in Auburn to visit with a friend before proceeding on with their trip.

Law enforcement authorities stated that they would not release Madkins’ blood alcohol level, but that the case against the student-athlete will be given to the Lee County District Attorney’s Office for presentation at the next grand jury session.

Driver in fatal wreck charged with DUI, AONow.com, March 11, 2010

It should be no surprise by now that as a Birmingham DUI defense attorney I have little sympathy for elected officials, law enforcement professionals and judicial officials who do not hold themselves to the same standards that other Alabama residents are expected to meet. If there is one thing that cannot be tolerated, it is the hypocrisy of persons who hold positions of authority.

Not only does such behavior call into question the morals and commitment of our elected and appointed officials, in committing illegal acts it sends a terrible message to our young people. As always, I believe that anyone arrested for drunken driving and subsequently charged with DUI should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, a police officer, municipal or state judge, or elected official who is convicted should face the same punishments that are dispensed to the average citizen.

Just last month, Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan was found guilty for driving under the influence of alcohol in a Florence, AL, courtroom. However, aside from the fines and court costs, the law enforcement head was given a 90-day suspended sentence. He does however have to complete a court-referral program, according to news reports.

As I have explained in this space time and time again, a drunk driving conviction can cost a person his or her job and even end a career. Such would seem the case for Chief Logan, who now must see what happens to his future with the Tuscombia Police Department.

Based on reports, the Florence municipal judge in the case, James E. Hall II, issued the verdict following nearly three hours of testimony. One of the pieces of evidence against the police chief was a report from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, which stated that Logan's blood-alcohol content (BAC) was more than triple the 0.08-percent legal limit for driving. The sample that showed this 0.272 percent BAC was taken approximately three hours after Logan's drunk driving arrest in December of last year.

The judge issued Logan a 90-day suspended sentence and placed him on probation for 24 months. The defendant was also hit with a $600 fine ($425 of which were court costs), and ordered Logan to complete a court-referral program and meet with a victims' impact panel.

According to the news article at the time, Logan’s drunk driving defense attorney stated that his client intended to appeal the verdict within the mandatory 14 days. If an appeal is granted, the case would be transferred to Lauderdale County Circuit Court for a jury trial.

Police chief found guilty of DUI, TimesDaily.com, March 11, 2010