Thank You, Officer.

A man in Tyrone, GA did something quite unusual after his DUI arrest. After the unnamed man went to Court for his DUI charges, he wrote the arresting officer a “Thank You” letter. In the note, he expressed his gratitude toward Sgt. Jacob Collins with the Tyrone Police Dept. for arresting him earlier this year.

I literally did double take when I read the headline!

Man Thanks Officer For DUI Arrest

What. In. The. World???

As a DUI Attorney, I thought I had seen it all. However, this is a first for me. More often, I see court mandated apology letters written by citizens accused of DUI or other offenses.

Let me give you a FREE piece of legal advice: If a police officer stops you, do not act like a jerk.  Just don’t. Yes, you know your rights.  We get it.  I repeat: do not act like a jerk. If you act like a goon, it can make obtaining a favorable outcome in your case very difficult. Often, the prosecuting attorney will contact the police officer in your case and ask if he/she is agreeable to a reduction or dismissal of your charges. I assure you that the officer will remember you and will share your antics with the prosecuting attorney. Unfortunately, the chances of the prosecutor working with you will not be looking so good then.

I think we can all agree that a job in law enforcement can be difficult and dangerous even. In my experience, most police officers are kind people and they are just trying to do their job. It is not their life goal to harass citizens, regardless of what you may read on the internet to the contrary.

So, to the extent that it is humanly possible, just play nice! You could be saving yourself a major headache down the road.

As always, have fun and stay safe!

You can read more about the DUI “Thank You” letter here.

Melanie Ellwanger is a North Georgia DUI and Criminal Defense Attorney. She is a former prosecuting attorney and judicial candidate. She has been ranked as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine 2012-2015. melanie@hiremelaw.com