Comedian and actor Tiffany Haddish is asking a Fayette County judge to throw out criminal charges stemming from her 2022 arrest in Peachtree City, saying the court’s inaction is violating her constitutional rights.
Haddish, accused of driving while under the influence of marijuana and alcohol, filed the request Monday in Fayette County State Court. She said she has indicated to the court approximately 10 times since July 2024 that she is ready for trial and waiting on its orders.
The delay in the case is causing problems for Haddish, who has been on bond for almost 52 months and found that “personally, professionally and emotionally difficult,” her attorneys pointed out in the filing.
“She has had difficulty obtaining the proper travel documents to work in certain countries who see a pending case as a concern; most recently Australia, within the past couple of months,” her lawyers said. “She has had to hire costly third-party help to navigate those challenges with her travel.”
Fayette County prosecutors and Haddish’s attorneys did not comment Tuesday on the case.
According to a police report, Haddish was spotted asleep at the wheel of a 2021 Ford Explorer along Ga. 74 near Ga. 54 around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2022. Police said they suspected Haddish of being under the influence of marijuana and alcohol.
She was arrested and released on bond, charged with several traffic and DUI-related offenses, court records show.
Haddish said she’s still waiting for the court to rule on her June 2023 request to suppress certain evidence, for which the court held a hearing in May 2024. She said the prosecutors haven’t sought any explanation for the case delay or asked the court to move the matter forward.
Haddish said she caused a delay in the case once, in October 2024, when she asked that the trial be postponed. Court records show Haddish was hosting the “Fashion Trust Arabia” charitable event in Morocco that month.
Prosecutors twice sought to postpone proceedings in 2025, Haddish said, adding that the “bulk of the delay appears to lie with the court failing to rule on substantive motions.”
Court records show a key prosecution witness was unavailable in June 2025 because of a vacation.
Haddish said having the criminal case hanging over her head has created “obstacles” with some corporate entities hesitant to work with her. She said the continued delay is negatively impacting her earnings.
“Ms. Haddish respectfully requests that the court find that this substantial delay without any apparent justification was in violation of her constitutional rights to a speedy trial under the United States and Georgia Constitutions and that the accusation against her be dismissed,” her lawyers said.
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