Georgia Attempting to Elude a Police Officer Lawyers
When in doubt, stop
Before we discuss the penalties and laws surrounding fleeing or attempting to elude police officers in Georgia, it’s important to note that if you suspect you are being asked to stop by police, you should always stop.
Under Georgia code 40-6-395, it is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle to willfully fail or refuse to stop his or her vehicle. It is also unlawful for a driver to flee or attempt to elude police officers, whether they are pursuing you by motor vehicle or if they give you a visual or audible signal to stop the vehicle.
For example, if you are driving and you notice police lights or hear a police siren, you are supposed to immediately pull your vehicle to the side of the road. Other signals given by police may be by hand, voice, emergency light or siren.
And just as you have a responsibility to stop your vehicle for police when requested, they have a responsibility to the public as well. They must be in uniform, which should prominently display his or her badge of office every time they attempt to stop a person driving. The police officer’s vehicle must also prominently display markings indicating it as an official police vehicle.
Penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude Georgia police
If you are convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude a Georgia police officer, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. The fine can range from $300 to $5,000. If this is your second conviction within a five-year period, the fine can range from $600 to $5,000. For a third conviction in a five-year period, the fine will increase from $1,000 to $5,000.
You can be convicted of a felony if while fleeing or attempting to elude police, you were found guilty of driving faster than ten miles over the posted speed limit. You can also be convicted of a felony if you left the state and/or if any bodily injury was caused during the pursuant. The penalty is one to five years in prison.
If you were charged with any of these crimes, it’s best to seek an experienced Georgia fleeing or attempting to elude an officer lawyer. At Head Thomas Webb & Willis, our attorneys have experience defending clients accused of this criminal action.
