What is a Potential Defense to Sex Crimes?
Juries have little sympathy for anyone charged with a sexual offense. Despite the “innocent until proven guilty” rule, deep down, most people assume that anyone accused of a sex crime is guilty as soon as the handcuffs go on. Furthermore, most people believe sex offenders are homogenous. A flasher is just as “bad” as a […]
Is a Misdemeanor a Serious Charge in Georgia?
Yes, normally. Class C misdemeanors, such as loitering and underage alcohol consumption, aren’t that serious. A higher-level misdemeanor is a serious charge, in terms of direct and collateral consequences. Once upon a time, a brush with the law usually meant a “go forth and sin no more” warning. Today, a third of working-age adults have […]
Resisting Arrest: The Law in Georgia
If people don’t immediately comply with police officer commands, officers often say “stop resisting.” Some people have compared that phrase to Allahu Akbar, the phrase which some Muslim extremists use to justify violent action. That comparison may be a bit over the top, but it definitely raises a valid point. For many years, the law […]
Property Divisions in a Georgia Divorce: A Complete Guide
Georgia, like most other states, is an equitable distribution state. This rule has two components. First, all property in a divorce, including debts and assets, must be divided equitably. In Cobb County family courts, equitably is usually, but not always, the same as equally. Furthermore, the divorce cannot be an unfair financial burden on either […]
Opponents Sue to Block Cash Bail Expansion
A law adding some thirty offenses, including eighteen misdemeanors, to the cash bail-only list is clearly unconstitutional and grossly unfair, according to court documents. The new laws also limit bail fund groups to assisting with bail for no more than three individuals per year. “This is a part of our heritage, us being able to […]
Hot Car Killer Released
The Georgia Supreme Court set aside the murder conviction of a man who left a toddler in a hot car in 2016, on the grounds that the trial judge admitted “extremely and unfairly prejudicial” evidence. 41-year-old Justin Ross Harris was convicted in November 2016 on eight counts, including malicious murder, in the death of his […]
What Qualifies as Harassment in GA?
Georgia’s stalking law is unusually broad. Most states define stalking as a series of communications designed to harass or intimidate a person. Georgia’s anti-stalking law also criminalizes one-time and third-party contact. However, these two charges often don’t hold up in court. More on that below. Usually, stalking is a family “violence” crime. We put “violence” […]
Alleged COVID Fraudsters Headed to Federal Prison
Two Georgia siblings, who allegedly field fraudulent COVID unemployment benefits and PPP loan applications, will spend the next twenty-one months in federal prison. “Programs that provided unemployment benefits and disaster relief served as a lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The defendants’ greed-fueled scheme targeted both programs, and they’re now […]
Double Shooting in Troup County
Few details were available after, according to investigators, a 15-year-old boy shot his 10-year-old female sibling. Troup County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a home in the 1600 block of Bartley Road in LaGrange, Georgia regarding two juveniles, that were shot. Once deputies and other first responders arrived on scene, they found a 15-year-old boy […]
Five People Killed in Tift County Crash
Few details were available after a car full of young people collided with a semi-truck that was parked on the shoulder. Responding troopers and officers concluded that one vehicle was heading north in the center lane, while a second vehicle with a trailer was parked on the east shoulder of I-75 North. The state patrol […]
