Criminal Defense &
Personal Injury
Personal Injury
Criminal Defense Practice Areas
Coping with being arrested, criminal charges against you, or being under scrutiny by the police can be enormously hard. It takes its toll on your ability to live peacefully, without fear, and without always looking over your shoulder. This is especially true if you have never before dealt with the unsympathetic, insensitive, and punitive reality of the criminal justice system. Whether you were involved in a criminal act or not, your reputation and character, your hopes, your very freedom are at risk. This is the reason you need an experienced, competent, accessible, and skilled attorney that you can depend on to help you.
Our Constitution gives you the right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, the absolute right to be silent, and the right to obtain legal representation before doing or saying anything. Exercising this right instantly can have a significant bearing on how your particular case is prosecuted and on how it is ultimately resolved. This is especially true in circumstances when a person unwittingly says or does something that the police or prosecutors construe as an admission. Oftentimes, people think they are cooperating only to find out later that they inadvertently incriminated themselves. A criminal defense lawyer, however, will fight to preserve a person’s rights in every essential stage of the criminal justice process – in court, and out of court.
I handle a wide variety of criminal charges in Atlanta and the surrounding cities and municipalities. I am dedicated to the success of your case. Felonies and misdemeanors are critical matters.
TYPES OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES
Driving under the influence of alcohol is serious in Georgia. For a first arrest of DUI you can face a minimum sentence of 24 hours in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, 12 months on probation and 40 hours of community service. You could also suffer a year-long driver’s license suspension and other consequences.
If you’ve gotten a traffic ticket in Atlanta or the surrounding cities and municipalities, you’re facing potential fines, defensive driving classes, points on your license, potential license suspension, even jail time.
There are innumerable ways a person can be arrested for a domestic violence charge in Georgia. Altercations between girlfriends and boyfriends, husbands and wives, and other family members are zealously investigated by the police. Oftentimes, the police make arrests when that is the last thing a person intended.
Billions of dollars are lost from theft crimes each year, from serious felony offenses like burglary and robbery to misdemeanor offenses like shoplifting. These crimes are heavily prosecuted and sentences can be severe.
Drug possession charges are taken very seriously in Georgia but the law has changed to try to contemplate alternative and more appropriate sentences for these types of non-violent offenses.
Anyone under the age of 17 is a juvenile in Georgia and, if arrested, will be prosecuted in juvenile court unless he/she is charge with one of Georgia’s “seven deadly sins:” murder, rape, armed robbery (with a firearm), aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery and voluntary manslaughter.
Property crimes like criminal trespass are very common. If you enter the property of another without their permission, you can be prosecuted for criminal trespass. You can also be prosecuted for criminal trespass if you damage or deface the property of another.
Not many crimes risk the kind of potential collateral consequences as sex offenses. People can suffer harsh sentences and sex offender registry requirements.
Crimes where weapons are involved and/or that result in a victim being severely injured or placed in imminent danger are categorized as violent crimes. They’re some of the most serious crimes to be arrested for, and these offenses are some of the most heavily prosecuted.
It’s illegal to buy, sell, or distribute or possess weapons without being authorized to do so. Most crimes involving weapons in Georgia are felonies.
Probation is simply jail without the bars. If you’re placed on probation you must follow a strict set of rules and comply with each requirement. If you fail to do so, you’ll be arrested and possibly placed in jail.
The Georgia first offender law keeps you from having a conviction on their record even though you may have plead guilty and been placed under sentence. If you complete your sentence without re-offending, your charge can often be expunged.
Pre-Trial Intervention & Diversion Programs
Generally reserved for first time offenders, most jurisdictions offer pre-trial intervention and diversion programs designed to help people keep their records clean. They typically entail performing community service and taking educational classes and getting counseling geared towards the specific offense charged. Successful completion of these programs results in dismissal of a person’s charges.
Millions of people from out of town travel to Atlanta and the surrounding area every year for work, entertainment, or to visit family and friends. If they get arrested, they need legal representation to help them resolve their case, preferably avoiding the inconvenience of making a return trip.