Joshua Burchett

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Name:
Burchett, Joshua Adam

Date of Booking:
07/27/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
OPEN CONTAINER

DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE SUBSTANCES

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On July 27th, 2026, at around 7:30 pm, I responded to the parking lot of Dutchmans Casual Living located at 8851 Macon Highway regarding an intoxicated motorist. The complainant reported that an intoxicated male in gray pickup truck with crash damage had driven into the parking lot. When I arrived, I found a gray Chevy Colorado GA tag [REDACTED] parked crooked in two marked parking spaces directly in front of the store.

I was approached by the complainant and his wife. The first thing the complainant said was “He’s trashed.” They told me they were in the parking lot when they heard the Colorado enter the parking lot as the driver was driving on the curb turning in. The front end had extensive damage. When the driver parked, he was passed out behind the wheel, so they stopped to check on him. The driver appeared to them to be extremely intoxicated and did not know where he was. The driver believed he was in Bogart, and he was heading to Bogart. The complainant took the driver’s keys away and put them on the bed of the pickup.

I approached the driver’s window where I spoke with the driver and sole occupant, Joshua Burchett. Burchett was asleep so I woke him up. Burchett opened his eyes and looked at me but then immediately passed out again. I saw Burchett was wearing a hospital wristband and there was discharge paperwork on the front passenger floorboard. I attempted to speak with Burchett, however, the only thing I was able to get out of him was that his first name was Joshua. He was in and out of consciousness multiple times. I asked Burchett if he had any guns, and he told me he didn’t have any guns.

After that, every time I asked a new question, Burchett told me repeatedly that he did not have any guns even though that were not the questions that I was asking. I had Burchett get out of the truck and walk back to my patrol car. Burchett was unsteady on his feet, and we were afraid he was going to fall so Deputy Graham, and I escorted him to the front of my patrol car. Burchett refused to perform field sobriety, denied being in a crash, and denied even drinking alcohol. Burchett did complain of neck pain but was unable to explain what caused this issue. While speaking with Burchett, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. His speech was slurred, and he was unsteady on his feet.

Based on the totality of the circumstances, I believed that Burchett was under the influence to the point that it was less safe for him to be driving. He was taken into custody and detained in handcuffs. I searched Burchett incident to his arrest, and I found medication bottles in his pockets. One medication was Meloxicam (15 mg) and the other was Tizanidine (4 mg). Meloxicam is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug and Tizanidine is a muscle relaxer.

I read Burchett the Implied Consent Notice for suspects over the age of 21. When I asked him to provide a sample of his blood, he repeated, “I’d like to talk to my, uh,” multiple times. I informed him that he was not able to speak with anyone prior to giving an answer. Burchett continued asking to speak with someone. I informed him that if he did not answer the question, it would be considered a refusal. He continued asking to speak with someone else.

National EMS responded to the scene to evaluate Burchett. Burchett did not wish to be transported to the hospital. The paramedics checked his blood pressure, oxygen level, and blood sugar. Burchett’s blood pressure was low, but they believed it was normally low. Burchett’s blood sugar was within normal ranges. At the time of this call, we had not had any hit-and-run crashes that had been called in involving a gray pickup truck.

I had dispatch notify Athens-Clarke County and ask if they had any crashes that they were investigating. Athens-Clarke County Police Department was investigating a crash down the road from this incident. Officer Humphries #2284 responded to this scene and issued Burchett a citation for duty upon striking a fixture. Officer Humphries relayed that Burchett’s truck had struck a pole in Athens and fled from the scene.

I searched Burchett’s Colorado incident to his arrest. I found a plastic 16.9 fl oz container of Sidewayz Spiked Juice in a Walmart bag in the center console. This container listed that it was 11.7% alcohol by volume. I also found a blue insulated cup with a straw on the rear passenger floorboard. When I opened the cup, I saw that it appeared to contain the spiked juice and had a potent odor.

The hospital paperwork showed that Burchett had been a patient at [REDACTED BY AGENCY] for a complaint of [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. He was given dexamethasone (PF) (DECADRON) and ketorolac (TORADOL) at around 4:48 and 4:49 pm that day. Dexamethasone is a potent prescription corticosteroid used to treat severe inflammation, allergic reactions, and certain cancers. Ketorolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for the short-term management of moderately severe acute pain. Burchett asked that his truck be towed, so I requested Oconee Roadside respond to impound the Colorado for safe keeping.

I transported Burchett to the Oconee County Jail where he was booked in without further incident. Burchett was cited for DUI – Alcohol – less safe, DUI – multiple substances, and open container.

On July 30th, I made contact with Blake Martin, an Asset Protection Investigator for Walmart. He was able to locate a purchase made by Burchett on June 27th at 2:20 pm. Burchett purchased four Sidewayz Spiked Juice alcoholic drinks. A copy of the receipt for the purchase along with a photograph of Burchett scanning the drinks has been attached to this report.

[End of Narrative]

All information is sourced directly from the official, public court database. Case history is organized and curated by The Georgia Gazette staff. The “What this means:” explanations are written by AI and reviewed by our staff before publishing.

Court records are subject to change at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors or omissions. Nothing here is legal advice. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Case History:

7/28/26

CASH BOND SET — $3,096.00

What this means: Joshua Adam Burchett was released from custody on a cash bond of $3,096.00, filed in Oconee County Probate Court. The bond covers the charges of Open Container, DUI – Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, and DUI – Driving Under the Influence of Multiple Substances. If Burchett fails to appear for any scheduled court date or violates the conditions of the bond, it will be forfeited and a bench warrant will be issued for his re-arrest.

9/17/26

ARRAIGNMENT SCHEDULED FOR 9/17/26

What this means: According to the bond contract, Joshua Adam Burchett’s first court appearance — known as an arraignment — was scheduled for September 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM. At an arraignment, the defendant is formally informed of the charges against him and enters a plea of guilty or not guilty. This was to take place in Oconee County Probate Court.

9/28/26

CASE TRANSFERRED FROM OCONEE COUNTY PROBATE COURT

What this means: The case was transferred from Oconee County Probate Court to Oconee Superior Court. This typically happens when charges are serious enough to require handling in the higher court system. The case will now proceed in Superior Court.