MIP and passengers

Officers of the Athens Clarke County Police Department and the University of Georgia Police Department are currently making a number of arrests of passengers in vehicles for underage possession of alcohol (MIP).  In numerous police reports, officers are going directly to passengers and immediately demanding everybody to produce identification to determine everybody’s age.  In a recent court hearing, one police officer testified that the assumption is that if a car full of people is leaving downtown the passengers have all consumed alcohol.  Based on that the officers believe that they can demand id and arrest anybody that is under 21 for underage possession of alcohol/minor in possession (MIP).  Prosecutors in Athens are under the impression that officers can demand id of passengers at any time and seem to believe that it can be for any reason.  Because of this, they have decided to prosecute these cases in the Municipal and State courts.

Recently we were able to successfully argue that demanding id of passengers without a valid reason was unlawful.  In that situation, the prosecution will be unable to continue with the case of underage possession of alcohol (MIP) against that particular individual.  However the prosecutors have decided that this ruling will not stop them from vigorously pursuing these charges, and that they will continue to prosecute these high volume of cases that the police are making.  As long as the police and prosecutors continue to pursue these cases, this firm will continue to make sure that passengers rights are protected.

Visit www.georgialawyerteam.com for more information

University of Georgia False Identification Card Investigation

University of Georgia police are investigating a case dealing with the manufacture and sale of a large number of false identification cards to underage University of Georgia (UGA) students. Police have obtained email records linking many UGA students to the purchasing of these identification cards and have been knocking on dorm room doors, calling student’s homes, and searching for students in class who have obtained these ids. This is all part of the investigation to build a case against the manufacturer of these ids and the number of individuals that were assisting in various capacities. So far the police have met with and interviewed a lot of students that have purchased these ids.

Many UGA students worry about their future once linked to possessing and purchasing fake ids. Jason Slider has been discussing this issue with the UGA police and has met with several police officers to determine how to best advise students concerning these charges and the investigation that is being done.

Supporting the Athen’s Latino Community

This weekend Baker and Slider, LLC is proud to support the Athen’s Latino Festival. Both, John Baker and Jason Slider will be downtown on Saturday afternoon supporting the Hispanic community and advising their legal needs. Baker and Slider, LLC have been heavily involved in the Latino community for sometime, continually defending clients against criminal charges, driving with a suspended license, driving without a license and DUIS. In addition, they are proud to offer free translation services with Jamie Magally, in order to fully understand their client’s needs and tackle the legal matter.

Please visit http://www.alcescenter.org for more information on the Athens Latino Center for Education and Services

University of Georgia Student Legal Meetings

For the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to attend various Greek Life chapter meetings. Here, I have been able to introduce myself, Jason Slider, to Athens’ students, as well as speak on behalf of my firm, Baker & Slider LLC, and discuss our practicing legal areas. As soon as I delved into speaking to the students, it was apparent that many were concerned of the legal implications that face them each and every day. The temptations of college life can lead to undesirable consequences that worry many students; however, I was there to truly hone in and answer any questions they may have about their lifestyle choices and the legal matters that may arise from these choices.

By attending these meetings, I have been able to see what the students in Athens, Georgia truly need: a professional team that can deliver top-notch legal representation in cases of DUI, underage possession, and drug crimes. We are that committed firm engaged in understanding our community and devoted to helping the students at our local university. I look forward to the future meetings that I have scheduled in the upcoming weeks with additional sororities and fraternities and I am excited to answer any more questions the students at The University of Georgia may have.