We have informed readers in previous blog posts that the repercussions of a drunk driving arrest or conviction can be severe in Georgia, which brings to bear exacting and stringent laws in DUI cases.
As the media readily reveals, some DUI-related stories are dramatic -- even sensational -- and feature defendants who have committed egregious acts that make them difficult for most people to empathize with or forgive.
As a factual matter, though, most people caught up in a DUI stop and arrest are far from notorious characters. Rather, and in most instances, they are simply average and law-abiding persons who made a mistake, are sorry for it, and are willing to pay the reasonable consequences for the offense as a prerequisite to getting on with their lives.
Sometimes the consequences, though, can seem markedly severe. The recent outcome in the case of a Murray County school teacher convicted on a DUI charge earlier this year strikingly bears that out.
In short, she lost her job. Following her guilty plea and sentence to probation and mandatory enrollment in an alcohol treatment program, the teacher of 26 years faced a school board dismissal hearing, before which she received little sympathy. The board's seven members voted unanimously not to renew her contract, based on their view that her conviction and related admissions amounted to a violation of the Georgia Code of Ethics.
The teacher's former principal testified that she was an excellent teacher well respected by her students. Her attorney told the board that she deserved a second chance after having completed all her sentencing conditions, including the recommended treatment.
It is presently unclear whether the teacher will appeal the decision to the Georgia state school board, which she is entitled to do.
Related Resource: Times Free Press, "Chatsworth teacher arrested for DUI will not get her job back" Aug. 10, 2011
