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Beat that Gwinnett traffic! |
 More Traffic Cameras -- that don't take your picture
Gwinnett transportation officials received formal approval this summer to install more traffic cameras and fiber-optic cables to monitor traffic flow and allow real-time, remote control adjustments from the Gwinnett Traffic Control Center in two congested areas. These traffic cameras are not the same as the red light cameras that snap photos of the license plates of drivers who run red lights.
A six-mile stretch of Pleasant Hill Road between Lawrenceville Highway/U.S. 29 and Buford Highway/U.S. 23 will get the new traffic-management equipment, as will almost three miles of Buford Drive/State Route 20 between I-985 and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near the Mall of Georgia.
See the traffic on Pleasant Hill and Buford Highway before you go
Instead of just hopping in your car and hoping you dont end up in a traffic jam, county officials want you to plan your commute by checking live streaming traffic feeds that can be viewed on the GC Smart Commute web site.
I'll let you know when there's an app
Approximately 115 cameras are currently operating in Gwinnett County, with a total of 175 expected to be operating within the next several years. Eighty percent of the money for this installation comes from state transportation funds and the rest from Gwinnett's 2009 SPLOST sales tax program. Perhaps they can find funds to develop an app, too so we can check even when we arent in front of a computer.
Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne
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Who issues traffic tickets in Gwinnett County?
The Gwinnett County Recorder's Court handles traffic citations written by the Gwinnett County Police Department, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department, Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The majority of cases are speeding tickets and minor car accidents that involve no or minor injuries.
Recorder's Court also handles all Gwinnett County code ordinance violations, such as citations written by Gwinnett County Animal Control, the Planning and Zoning/Inspection Department, the Business License Department, and the Environmental Health Department. The majority of these types of cases involve loose or barking dogs, signs of the wrong size or in the wrong place, and property that needs repair. There are no jury trials in Recorder's Court. Traffic violations can be sent to State Court for a jury trial. Most local ordinance violations are limited to trial before a judge only.
In 2007, the latest year for which statistics are available, the Gwinnett County Recorder's Court processed over 128,000 citations and collected nearly $14,000,000.00 in fines and bond forfeiture payments.
Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne
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Atlanta Traffic Tickets-- June |
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The payment of traffic tickets is a major source of income for Gwinnett County. In this era of decreasing sales tax revenue, you can expect to see more police on the side of the roads, waiting for you to speed past them. The following Gwinnett-area court reported this many traffic tickets to DDS in June 2011: source, www.dds.ga.gov/business/MonthlyTrafficReports.aspx
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Gwinnett County Courts:
Juvenile Court - 76
Superior Court - 94
Recorder’s Court - 4439
State Court - 276
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City Courts:
Suwanee - 1007
Loganville - 419
Lilburn - 320
Lawrenceville - 574
Duluth - 712
Norcross - 225
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Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne
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Too many false-positive marijuna tests |
 How do Georgia cops know it's marijuana?
There is a fascinating article in one of the most respected British newspapers this week about how American cops routinely bust people for marijuana using outdated scientific tests. The newspaper's claim is that people are being put behind bars for substances that are not in fact marijuana.
The article is correct on many levels. And indeed, Georgia does use the test they talk most about that shows false positives in identifying marijuana. But how does this test affect your Georgia DUI case or Georgia drug charges? First you have to know how Georgia cops identify marijuana in the first place. Like nearly everything else the cops do, they follow a carefully outlined procedure that still manages to fall short of scientific accuracy.
- The officer performs a methodical visual inspection. They have training in what marijuana looks like and how it smells, etc. Of course, there are other herbs that are similar to marijuana so they then
- administer the Duquenois-Levine test. This is the test that is panned in the article, and rightly so. Developed in the 1930s (yes, an 80 year old scientific test—nothing better has been developed?) it is used to prove a substance is marijuana. However, it was discovered back in the 1960s to show false positives in many situations. If this test ids the substance as marijuana the officer then
- uses the KN reagent tests. Which is also known for false positives.
If all three screening tests are positive, the officer reports the substance as marijuana. Cops who really know what they are doing send a sample to the crime lab which uses much more reliable testing. Which is great, but you are probably still under arrest since the officer clearly thinks you've got an illegal substance on hand.
What do you do if you've been arrested for possession of sage in Georgia?
Keep your mouth shut (no one has listened to you yet, otherwise you wouldn't have been charged to begin with) and ask for a lawyer. Good Georgia DUI and drug lawyers are very familiar with these testing methods and we know just how lousy they are. But don't just call any lawyer. A lawyer who is not extremely familiar with marijuana testing methods probably won't believe you either.
Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne
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Lawrenceville Sunday alcohol sales to change? |
 Seriously? Lawrenceville Alcohol sales is a contentious issue?
Lawrenceville voters get to vote in November whether they want to allow Sunday sales of packaged alcoholic beverages.
“There is nothing more dividing in a community than this issue,” said Councilman Tony Powell. Really? Lawreceville must be Shangri-la if this is the biggest issue that is facing us today.
This is one of those issues that make Yankees (and I don't mean the baseball players) shake their heads at southerners. Most of the rest of the country long ago decided that it wasn't a big deal to sell beer and wine on a Sunday. Why is it still such an issue around here? Does anyone really think someone will choose to stay home from church in order to drink a little more? Trust me, there are plenty of people who don't make it to church on Sunday because of booze-- only it was just all drunk the night before.
Ah, that is it: perhaps we should change the law to make alcohol sales illegal on Saturday nights from 7pm on, and legal to sell again at 8am Sunday.
Atlanta DUI Lawyers Clark & Towne
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Page 12 of 50 |
David Clark's book "101 Ways to Beat a Marijuana Charge in Georgia" is a comprehensive guide to getting out of a marijuana charge in Georgia. Mr. Clark, a former Judge, provides inside tips from his 22 years of experience as one of Georgia's top criminal defense lawyers defending pot smokers. All proceeds benefit Georgia NORML.
Jessica Towne's FREE book "How to Choose a Georgia DUI Lawyer" guides you through choosing an attorney. A criminal defense and trial lawyer for over 22 years, Ms. Towne shows you how to cut through the talk and find the best qualified attorney for your case.