Articles Posted in MS DUI Law

On April 11, 2013, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed into law House Bill 481, which introduces several changes to Mississippi’s DUI laws.  While I have previously addressed the ways in which this bill “cracks down” on impaired drivers, it also provides a benefit to potentially thousands of people who have been convicted of DUI.  Effective next year, anyone who has been convicted of a first offense DUI prior to the law’s effective date may be eligible to have their DUI record expunged; of course, there are certain requirements.

For more information, please visit this link.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013, the National Traffic Safety Board announced its newest proposal for cracking down on alcohol-related traffic accidents.  The NTSB is urging all states to lower the threshold blood alcohol concentration from .08 percent to .05 percent.  This 37.5 percent decrease would make it MUCH easier to get a DUI.  For more information, please visit this link. 

An ordinance to allow the sale of beer and light wines went into effect this passed Monday in New Albany.  The businesses that have applied for the permit to sell still have not received their permits though.  Take a further look at the article:

According to Mississippi State Tax Commission representative Kathy Waterbury, the department has issued four permits to retail stores and one to a wholesaler so far, with two more retail and two more wholesaler permits pending.  She went on to say that, because of legality issues, the state agency is not allowed to release the names of those businesses.

Still other local stores continue to debate the issue or have decided not to sell beer or light wine.

Hinds County, in the wake of prom and just before graduation, is sending out a strong message encouraging teens to stay away from alcohol.  The message mainly focuses on showing teens that it is possible to have fun without alcohol.  Take a further look at the article:

“The message is clear. Young people can have fun without alcohol and the way that happens is it starts with young people and it starts with the adults in their lives. We hope that they share the message and they do more than share it, they set the example,” said Velesha Williams, director of the Mississippi Underage Drinking Prevention Coalition of Hinds County or MUDPC.

The organization held an underage drinking prevention rally in Smith Park in downtown Jackson Tuesday morning.

State agents raided an illegal still in McCool, MS, arresting one and seizing marijuana and whiskey.  James E. Patterson, 55, was charged with making moonshine and growing marijuana.  Take a further look at the article:

The Mississippi Alcohol Beverage Control served a warrant on Tuesday, where they discovered 45 gallons of whiskey in clear plastic jugs, a three-barrel still covered in insulation and a half-pound of processed marijuana in clear plastic bags inside some sheds.

The Clarion-Ledger reported authorities also found a 75-gallon stainless steel condenser and 150-gallon stainless steel still painted in a camouflage design and 31 marijuana plants.

A Calhoun County man is facing 33 years in prison for the DUI related death of a Dutch cyclist.  Wendell Blount was under the influence of morphine when he struck and killed Esther Hageman.  Take a further look at the article:

The vacationing journalist was hit by Blount’s SUV on the Natchez Trace near Houston, Miss., on April 22, 2009.

Blount testified that he had seen a cyclist in the distance, but was checking his vehicle’s mirrors when he hit Hageman from behind.

A Kemper County man was heading towards a sandbar where his father and friend were parked but failed to slow down colliding and killing the two men.  Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries suspects alcohol or drugs may have been involved.  Take a further look at the article:

This will make the eighth boating related fatality in Mississippi so far this year. ”By the time the sun beats on your for six or seven hours fatigue sets in and your reflexes are slow.  You combine that with alcohol or any kind of drug and you got a recipe for disaster,” said Walker.

Brad Hardy faces numerous charges pending the outcome of toxicology testing.  Walker said the three boats involved in the collision have been collected for evidence.  Accident reconstruction could start as early as Tuesday.

Hiring a lawyer to fight your DUI charge in Mississippi is a decision that should not be taken lightly.  Driving under the influence (DUI) is a complex and complicated criminal allegation with severe consequences if the charge results in a conviction in court.

Here at my law office, we are dedicated to helping those accused of DUI.  Myself, and my associates Lance Mixon and Kevin Stewart, fight for our clients.  Together with our diverse and able staff, we take each case using a “team effort” approach.  When you hire one of our outstanding attorneys, you are not hiring just one person.  You are hiring a team of people who are behind you 100%.

A DUI charge in Mississippi cannot be reduced to a less serious or “lesser-included” offense, such as careless driving or reckless driving.  Further, if a DUI charge ultimately results in a conviction in our state, it can NEVER be expunged from your criminal record.  In other words, it is a lifetime conviction that you will have to live with and possibly report on college and graduate school applications, and job applications, just to name a few.