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A Traffic Stop: Your Bill Of Rights
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BY DEBBIE GODBEE
You’re driving down Back Campus
| Drive when suddenly you notice
flashing blue lights behind you. What
should you do and what are your rights
? in a routine traffic stop situation?
First, according to Jeff May, assis
tant chief of Public Safety, you should
pull over at the first safe opportunity
and wait inside until the officer gives
I you instructions Any passenger should
also remain in the car unless the officer
instructs otherwise
The officer will usually ask for your
driver’s license first; then, he will tell
you why he has stopped you and will ex
plain the circumstances. He must have
a probable cause before he stops your
car, May said. Running a stop sign,
crossing the centerline of the road or
speeding may be why you’ve been stop
ped. Or, your license tag may have ex
pired, or a police lookout may have
been posted on a vehicle similar to
yours.
If you have been speeding, the officer
will give you either a warning or a
ticket, unless you have a legitimate
reason such as a medical emergency
and you are trying to get to a hospital.
Even if you disagree with the of
ficer’s reason for ticketing you, May
advises that you quietly accept the
ticket and not argue with the officer.
You are guaranteed your day in court if
First Tuesday Mall Carrollton, Ga.
“You and GG’s ... It’s what’s going on”
you want to contest it. “The side of the
road is no place to argue,” he said.
He will ask you to sign the ticket as an
appearance bond. Your signature on
the ticket is not an admission of guilt; it
means that you will either pay the ap
propriate fine or appear in court on the
designated date to contest the charges.
The court date will be written on the
ticket.
If you refuse to sign the ticket, the of
ficer has the right to arrest you, but in
this area, your denial to sign is usually
written on the bottom of the ticket. May
said. The judge may decide punishment
for refusal to sign.
In some cases, including some involv
ing students near the end of the quarter,
a driver’s license bond may be required
to ensure that the driver will return to
the area to handle the matter. The
driver’s license is kept by the officer
but a receipt is given allowing the
driver 45 days or the number of days
until his court date to drive. The valid
receipt is just as good as the license, the
assistant chief said.
If the officer suspects, based on im
proper driving, slurred speech, the
smell of alcohol, or other indications,
that you have been drinking, he may
ask you how many drinks you’ve had.
“No matter how much, tell the officer
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the truth, not just that you’ve had a cou
ple,” May said. "You have a better shot
at the best treatment possible if you’re
honest with the officer.”
He may ask you to submit to a field
sobriety test, such as reaching down to
pick up something on the ground or
walking an imaginary line to observe
your balance.
A portable breath analyzer which
gives an accurate reading of blood
alcohol content may be used, if
available and if you agree to submit to
the test. The Carrollton police use this
analyzer. You cannot be penalized if
you refuse to take this test.
If the officer decides to arrest you for
driving under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, he may conduct a search of
your car for “fruits of the crime” - emp
ty alcohol bottles, marijuana, etc.
You will be required to ride with the
officer to the station. With your permis
sion, another passenger or officer can
drive your car to the station. If you
refuse to let someone drive your car,
the vehicle will probably be towed in,
May said, at your expense.
You will be taken to the police station
and asked to submit to either a breath,
blood or urine test or all three, to deter
mine the alcohol content of the blood.
You have the right to an additional test
by a person of your choice, either a doc
tor or lab assistant, but you must pay
for this test yourself. Blood and urine
tests are used to determine amounts of
drugs, as well as alcohol in the blood.
If you refuse to take any of these tests
your driver’s license will be suspended
for six months and you will still face
DUI charges without chemical
evidence.
If you register 10 grams percent in
your blood, you are considered by the
state of Georgia, to be incapable of
driving a vehicle safely, May said. At
the officer’s discretion, you may be
charged with DUI if you register five
percent, depending on factors such as
the degree of recklessness of your driv
ing or whether or not you caused an ac
cident.
Someone will have to post a property
bond or set a cash bond for your
release.
If you decide to contest the charges
on your designated court date, you have
the right to obtain counsel, present
witnesses, and cross-examine the of
ficer.
If you feel that you have been treated
wrong by an officer, you should contact
the officer’s supervisor to register your
complaint.
THE WEST GEORGIAN, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 1981
Campus Medical Center
Gives 24 HourMedcare
“Round-the-clock” general medical
care is provided by the campus health
services facility.
Each student enrolled in six or more
quarter hours is charged a $23 health
fee, which is included in his matricula
tion. Students enrolled in fewer hours
may also participate by paying the fee.
In addition to treating such ailments
as gastrointestinal upsets, strep throat
and venereal disease, the staff conducts
general procedures such as pregnancy
tests, detection of mononucleosis, and
minor surgery as in the removal of
warts or the simple suturing of cuts.
Athletic and nursing facilities are also
available. A family planning clinic is
also conducted twice a month.
A full-time pharmacist and eight
nurses (five registered and three
licensed practical) staff the facility in
addition to Dr. Roy Denney, who is
there from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. A night
nurse is on duty from 11 p.m. until 7
a.m. Before joining the West Georgia
staff, Denney, who is in his fourth year
here, specialized in ear, nose and throat
maladies after many years of general
practice.
The facility itself consists of 15 beds,
14 in semi-private rooms and one isola
tion, two treatment rooms, an emergen
cy room, a lab and a pharmacy.
A family planning service is provided
on the first and second Tuesday of each
month by appointment only. This ser
vice includes urinalysis, Pap smear,
complete blood count (optional), and a
year’s supply of birth control pills (op
tional). The service requires an addi
tional fee which has not been set for the
1981-82 academic year.
Venereal disease slides are done upon
request and are processed on campus
and read by Denney.
In case of an emergency, whether in
jury or illness, during the night,
students can contact Public Safety,
which will make arrangements with the
night nurse and provide transportation
for the victim to the infirmary. Since
only one nurse is on duty at night, the
infirmary doors are locked from 11
p.m. until 7 a.m.
The facility can handle minor over-
DR. DENNEY
night stays up to 48 hours. In case of ex
tended illness such as hepatitis,
measles, or mononucleosis, the student
is referred to a family doctor, sent
home or in some cases, sent to the
hospital.
The staff can perform and determine
results of the mono-spot for
mononucleosis detection, the pregnan
cy test, venereal disease slides and
throat cultures. Other lab work such as
blood studies and urine studies are
handled at Tanner Memorial Hospital
in Carrollton at additional cost to the
student. But, Denney said, the campus
facility does receive reduced rates. The
infirmary will draw blood or collect
urine samples and send them to Tan
ner. Results are sent back to the cam
pus facility and they may be referred to
the family doctor.
Necessary X-rays are also conducted
at the hospital at an additional cost to
the student, with the price depending on
the number and type of X-rays needed.
The campus facility does not receive
reduced rates on these, but Denney
said, personal insurance policies usual
ly cover X-ray costs.
Physicals for all sports participants
and nursing students are conducted by
the facility with the aid of local doctors
and nurses.
Students who require allergy medica
tion may bring their medication to the
health facility for administration.
Look For The Next
West Georgian
On October 7
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