I recently applied for GFL renewal. Recieved a letter that I needed to meet with Pribate Judge about renewal. My background should be completely clean other than DUI over 10 years ago. I am to meet with Judge tomorrow, they won't discuss reason over the phone. Any reason I should be denied a GFL?
What county are you in? You are not obligated to meet with the judge to get a GFL. I'd refuse to meet and then contact GCO to help me get my license. If you do go, please take detailed notes. Maybe you can record the conversation, if the judge is cool with it.
Record it anyway. Georgia is a one-party consent state. As long as you are a party to the conversation, you can record it. 16-11-62 is the general code prohibiting eavesdropping. Then, 16-11-66 specifically allows parties to do so: § 16-11-66. Interception of wire, oral, or electronic communication by party thereto; consent requirements for recording and divulging conversations to which child under 18 years is a party; parental exception (a) Nothing in Code Section 16-11-62 shall prohibit a person from intercepting a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communication or one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception.
Is this the same Probate Jubge from the last time you did your GFL? If it is a new one they may be looking into the "morale" part, so just be normal and do not lie. This may be to late since you posted Monday, please let us know what happened.
To clarify that a bit more... 16-11-129(d)(4) where it says: Some judges have decided that they must meet with some applicants to determine if they are of good moral character.
OK. Yes, this was a renewal of an already valid license issued by the same Judge with no issues on my record for 14 years, and only then a DUI. I met with the Probate Judge in Carroll County. As it turns out she must have been wanting to have a conversation with me and check out my "Moral Character". A 6 minute conversation later, the answer was, "OK, we'll process this and you should get it in the mail in a few days, sorry for the inconveinience.
Hey! Don't leave us hanging! What was the substance of your conversation with Judge Cason, President of the Probate Judge's Council? What is it she wanted to know. Leave out any embarassing personal details if you wish, but this sort of thing is so rare, I am very curious as to what she was attempting to do. Did she ask you about matters beyond 129(b) eligibility factors?
The details are: She met with me in a private office. Asked me about my DUI (Ancient History). She said it said I was under the influence of Alcohol / Drugs. I said "No. It was just Alcohol, of course that's bad enough." She said she would need me to go down to State Court and get a copy of the case. I said "Sure! Where is State Court?" She looked over the background check some more and said "Well.....you said drugs wasn't involved, and after all it usually is that someone entered the wrong code. We will go ahead and get this processed for you." I said "Thank you" and left quietly. End of story, but to an Honest, Hard working, VERY Productive member of society that couldn't sleep until this got worked out, I was pretty concerned and PISSED OFF at the same time! It all worked out and that is fine. However, rest assured, I was poised with a very good attorney and you would have been reading about my case all over the Nation. "FROM MY DEAD COLD HAND!" for me, has a whole new meaning!
Drug convictions are a disqualifier for life. I never stopped to consider this applying in the context of a DUI.
Judge Cason in Carroll County is already currently being sued because she refused to issue a GFL in accordance with O.C.G.A. 16-11-129 and in violation of the Federal Privacy Act. You can read more about it at Georgia Carry or you can just search for threads about it here. Just look for "SSN and federal privacy act".