Man with .248 BAC gets probation and treatment conditions; judge orders weekly support meetings

James Antoine Murphy entered a guilty plea to DUI on May 18, 2020, during a virtual calendar call in Clayton County State Court. Prosecutors said officers clocked his vehicle at 64 mph in a 45-mph zone, noted signs of impairment and later recorded a blood-alcohol concentration of .248. He was alleged to have declined standardized field-sobriety testing and submitted to a blood test after arrest.

Judge Tammy Long Hayward accepted a negotiated disposition and sentenced Murphy to 12 months, with one day to serve and credit for time already served; the balance of the term was probated. The judge ordered a $500 fine (plus court fees), a DUI risk-reduction course, a substance-abuse evaluation and any required treatment, random alcohol and drug screens, and 40 hours of community service.

Because Murphy has prior DUI adjudications, Judge Hayward added an affirmative supervision condition: he must attend at least one community-support meeting per week (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or similar) and show proof of attendance. The judge warned that repeated DUI arrests — even those many years apart — indicate a pattern that can culminate in tragedy and told Murphy to take the conditions seriously.

Murphy told the court he took responsibility for the offense and cited personal obligations and family as reasons to change his behavior. The court directed him to report to probation intake (courtroom 305) for enrollment and follow-up.