MADD Thanks Walton County Law Enforcement for Efforts to Combat DUI

Eva Smith, a volunteer with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has the respect of law enforcement officers in Walton County for her work in educating people about the devasting impact of drunk driving - and they have her respect for helping her do it.

Smith was joined by other members of MADD at Where There's Smoke BBQ in Monroe on Jan. 30, 2013 at a luncheon for members of Walton County's law enforcement community. The luncheon was to show appreciation for their efforts in keeping drunk drivers off the roads. Members of Walton County Sheriff's Office, Monroe and Loganville Police Department as well as officials from the courts and District Attorney's office were invited. Alcovy Circuit Court District Attorney Layla Zon was the keynote speaker and she explained how difficult it is to prosecute DUI cases and how important the work of law enforcement officials is to getting convictions.

"These are the toughest cases for the officers to have to deal with on the road. When you watch the videotapes and you see the crud these officers have to deal with on the road when they're dealing with these people and then in terms of prosecution they're difficult," Zon said. "No only from a legal standpoint, but also when dealing with the victims. Victims of DUI are some of the hardest victims to deal with, sometimes even more difficult than victims of child molestation and even murder."

Zon said victims often don't understand why the sentences don't appear to be as severe as they would expect. Smith has a deep understanding of this since it was being a victim that first got her involved with MADD. On Memorial Day in 1992, Smith lost her husband to a drunk driver and very nearly lost her son too. Smith spoke to her husband, Thomas Prather, on the phone just 30 minutes before he was killed. When she was told of the accident by the Georgia State Patrol, she knew that one of them had had died, but she wasn’t sure whether it was her husband or her son. The man served 10 years for the DUI accident that killed her husband and since being released was again arrested for DUI.

So for Smith, working with MADD is a commitment that she never lets up on. She also is quick to commend the officers in Walton County who work on the DUI task force and the officials in the court system who prosecute the cases. Gary Martin, state executive director for MADD in Georgia, said not many counties have the same commitment found in Walton County to reducing incidents of drunk driving - from the officers on the roads, to the officials in the courts, the volunteers like Smith and even the sponsors of the luncheon.

"It is not often you get so much support from the community," Martin said.

Smith had some special words for Monroe Police Chief Keith Glass and Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman. She said when her husband was killed, she moved to Walton County - living in one of the tougher areas - and had to get a second fulltime job to make ends meet. Her son was only 14 years old at the time.

"When Joe Chapman and Chief Glass was working, we had pagers - we didn't have cell phones then - I'd page them or they'd page me, they'd give me a code to let me know my baby was alright," Smith said. "I want to thank you Chief, for taking care of me."

Smith, with the help of Monroe attorney Cheryl Fambrough, handed out certificates to the officers who worked in the different law enforcement departments in Walton County. Smith knows the officers personally - and they know her. It is a team that helps keep drunk drivers off the roads in Walton County.

"Even just one drunk driving arrest might be the one that prevents someone from getting a call like the one I did more than 20 years ago now," Smith said.

Information about MADD can be found on the web at www.madd.org. It is a nonprofit organization in the U.S., started by a mother who lost her 13-year-old daughter to a drunk driver more than 27 years ago. It has grown into a national organization dedicated to stopping drunken driving, supporting the victims of drunk driving and preventing underage drinking.