Alabama DUI lawyers recommend a number of services like designated driver services and towing services to reduce the risk of driving under the influence over New Year's. This year, AAA Alabama is again offering persons in Alabama the chance to get home safe after a few drinks, without being arrested for DUI.

This New Year's Eve, AAA Alabama will offer free towing services to get impaired motorists off the road. The Tow-for-Life service is a public service program that provides free towing services to intoxicated motorists across the state. The services are provided to both members and non-members of the AAA, and are free.

This New Year's Eve, you can call AAA Alabama at 1-800-222-4357 and ask for Tow-for-Life. You will need to provide your name, address, telephone number and the location of your car. The service program will dispatch a tow truck to you, and once you provide adequate identification, will ask for the keys to your vehicle. The vehicle will be towed to your home at no charge within a distance of 120 miles.

The Tow-for-Life service program will kick off on December 30, New Year's Eve at 6 PM, and will continue until 6 AM January 1, 2012. According to the AAA Alabama, a person's risk of being involved in a DUI accident that ends with injuries or fatalities is the highest during these times. The AAA Alabama says that it is not encouraging motorists to drink during this holiday, but the organization wants to give people who are drunk and do not believe that they are in a condition to drive home, an option to get home safe without being arrested for DUI, or causing any accidents or injuries along the way.

Cite as: Barron v. Scroggins, 910 So. 2d 780 (Ala. Civ. App. 2005)

Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama

Case No: CV-183393

Summary: My client Ms. Scroggins, filed a Petition to probate her mother's Will in Jefferson County, Alabama. Barron, the grandson, filed a cross-petition to probate the Will in another county and to serve as executor of the estate. A trial was conducted in Jefferson County Probate Court. The trial court concluded that the Will should be probated in Jefferson County, and that Barron had been self dealing money from his grandmother's estate. Additionally, Barron had to repay approximately $54,000 to the Estate of Marian E. Hawkins. The case was appealed and the Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision.

Disposition: Trial Verdict for Scroggins. Case won and affirmed on appeal.

In the Court of Criminal Appeals

(Requirements of Ala. Code 1975, Section 15-8-25)

In this matter, the Court held that requirements of the above-stated theft statute are satisfied by identification of monetary amount alone.  Court held that identification of the monetary amount now provides the defendant adequate notice of theft to prepare defense and to avoid double jeopardy.

In the Court of Criminal Appeals

(Ala. Code 1975, Section 32-5A-191)

In this matter, the Court held that municipal DUI convictions are not convictions under the above-stated code section and are not subject to the enhancements of 32-5A-191(h). 

In the Alabama Supreme Court

(Sixth Amendment Right to Continued Representation)

In this matter, the Court held that an indigent defendant does not have a right to continued representation by the same counsel in another matter. Right to counsel of choice does not extend to defendants who require counsel to be appointed.

In the Alabama Supreme Court

(Evidence of “Serious Bodily Injury”)

In this matter, the Court held that evidence of a scar was sufficient to demonstrate injury needed to sustain a conviction for first degree assault even in the absence of medical testimony or testimony from the victim. The Court stated that a lay witness who has observed the victim’s wound, the resulting scar and has knowledge of recovery from injury is able to present sufficient evidence as to whether the victim has suffered a “serious and protracted disfigurement.”

Over the last decade, there has been a whopping 36% increase in the number of DUI arrests involving women in this country. While men continue to comprise the majority of all DUI arrests in the United States, women are definitely catching up. That information comes from research by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation. In fact, this increase has been evident to Alabama DUI lawyers for a while now. According to the survey, binge drinking by women is also on a high, increasing by 30% over the past 30 years.

Sociologists point to a number of reasons why there has been an increase in the number of such DUI arrests. For one thing, women have greater earning power and enjoy greater independence, which quite likely translates into more uninhibited alcohol use. The study also found that women who were arrested for DUI were likely to be better educated than their male counterparts, and were also likely to be heavily involved mothers.

That raises the interesting possibility that increased drunk driving among women is linked to the stresses of modern parenting. Some experts say that women may be less able to recognize signs of out-of-control drinking, like drunk driving. Many women confess to drinking lightly during the daytime to deal with the stresses of their 24/7 life. Some women, who drink a couple of classes of wine a day to take the edge off the stresses of parenting, may not realize when the number of those glasses increase, and when light drinking has turned into a problem.

Law-enforcement agencies are looking at the growing number of arrests involving women driving under the influence of alcohol more seriously. Federal transportation safety officials plan to target female DUI during the holiday enforcement this season.

Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama
Case No: DR-96-2544.02-RAF

Summary: Father filed a Petition seeking to gain custody of minor child. My office represented the Mother against tremendous odds and a Father that had unlimited resources. After a day and a half trial, the trial court ruled for my client, the mother, to retain custody of her minor child. Additionally, the father was held in contempt of court and ordered to serve eight days in jail for contempt and pay all attorney fees associated with representing the mother.

Disposition: Verdict for Mother.

Case No.: 10-267-RDP-JEO

Summary: Client was charged with 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1), which is a felon in possession of a firearm. The government agents received information from a confidential informant regarding my client possessing a firearm that was located in his vehicle. The firearm was located during the course of a traffic stop. After much discovery and requesting the name of the informant as it related to the client’s defense, the government was unable to provide the name of the informant. Therefore, the case was dismissed. My client was facing a potential federal sentence of (10) years in federal prison.

Disposition: Case dismissed.