Actress Tiffany Haddish resolves Georgia DUI case with guilty plea
Tiffany Haddish. FOX 5 Atlanta photo
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. - Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has resolved her long-delayed Georgia criminal case by entering a guilty plea to DUI driving less safe, averting a trial that was scheduled to begin in Fayette County.
PREVIOUS STORY: Tiffany Haddish DUI: Case proceeds to trial after four-year delay
What we know:
Under the terms of the agreement, all remaining traffic charges against the entertainer were dismissed. Haddish was not in court for the hearing (she appeared by video instead), and no additional jail time was imposed, with the court crediting her for time served following her initial arrest.
As part of the disposition, her driver's license in the state of Georgia has been suspended.
The plea brings an end to a case that originated in January 2022, when Peachtree City police officers arrested Haddish after a 911 caller reported a driver asleep behind the wheel near an intersection. Officers located her vehicle parked near a residential yard and reported signs of impairment before taking her into custody.
The matter had been stalled for years due to a series of continuances, leaves of absence, and motions filed by both sides.
Defense attorneys recently attempted to have the case thrown out, arguing that the multi-year delay violated Haddish's constitutional right to a speedy trial. However, the judge denied the motion to dismiss, placing part of the delay on defense requests and clearing the case to proceed to trial before the plea deal was struck.
What's next:
Under Georgia law, a "DUI less safe" charge allows for a conviction if prosecutors show a driver was impaired to the extent that it was unsafe for them to operate a vehicle, even without specific blood-alcohol concentration test results. With the plea finalized, the formal trial proceedings have been canceled and the case is closed.