Georgia’s New Hate Crime Legislation Georgia recently passed a new Hate Crimes Bill. The new legislation imposes additional sentencing on a criminal defendant who commits a crime of hate based upon race, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability. Georgia had passed a hate crime bill…
Georgia Criminal Defense Procedure If you are being investigated for a crime or have been charged with a crime in Georgia, you need to know the criminal justice process you may be facing. As a criminal lawyer based in Atlanta, I have helped thousands of clients defend cases throughout Georgia.…
Georgia’s Second Chance Law Begins Criminal Defense Lawyers in Georgia are praising the new law Georgia “Second Chance,” law that goes into effect on January 1, 2021. Georgia Senate Bill 288 passed in June of 2020 expands the Georgia Expungement Rules for those who have committed nonviolent misdemeanor offenses. Georgia’s…
What are the Georgia Hit and Run Laws Hit and Runs are essentially leaving the scene of any accident and you can be charged criminally as well as incur civil(money damages), as a result of a failure to stop. A driver in the State of Georgia has an affirmative duty…
What Are Valid Warrant Requirements Search Warrant Recently Fulton County Prosecutors tried to obtain records of the ex-cop charged with murder in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks. Brook’s death lead to riots in Atlanta and Fulton County. The State was oddly trying to obtain records of donations to…
Decriminalization of Marijuana in Johns Creek, Georgia The municipal city of Johns Creek has taken steps to decriminalize marijuana possession according to this article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Public officials in favor of the municipal ordinance want to decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. …
What is Bail? Answers From an Atlanta, Georgia Criminal Lawyer Bail is money and/or property paid to the Court that is intended to ensure a criminal defendant’s return to court for the alleged crimes. It is a conditional release from jail, pending trial or resolution of a criminal matter. Bail…
What is Zoom-Bombing Zoom-Bombing Juvenile Zoom bombing is real and new. Many younger juveniles may consider it a prank. It can have serious legal and criminal consequences. Zoom bombing is a rather new phenomenon and an interesting problem for criminal defense attorneys. In today’s new world, during the Covid-19 pandemic…
In Georgia, anyone under the age of 17 is considered a juvenile offender and enters a separate system for juvenile offenders, rather than the adult criminal justice system. A judge reviews their cases and decides an outcome. In a worst-case scenario, the outcome of a juvenile case can result in…
The Georgia Constitution protects its citizens against multiple punishment for the same offense. This is known as double jeopardy, yet it does not forbid additional punishment for separate offenses which have been deemed to warrant separate sanctions. There is protection against multiple or successive prosecutions for crimes arising from the…