ACLU Sues to Block Cash Bail Expansion
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A Complete Guide to Domestic Battery in Cobb County
For defendants, a domestic disturbance call usually begins a downward spiral that begins with a Section 16-5-23 charge and often seems endless. Life moves so fast that a mandatory 24-hour jail hold, which applies in most cases, often has severe social, vocational, and other consequences. Unfortunately for defendants, that’s just the beginning. Almost as soon […]
Drug Possession Cases from Start to Finish
The recently concluded Afghanistan War was a “forever war” that seemed endless. The War on Drugs is much the same. President Richard Nixon issued this declaration of war in 1971. Today, more than fifty years later, there’s still no end in sight. So, authorities have changed tactics. They now focus primarily on drug possession enforcement. […]
How Jail Release Energizes a Criminal Defense
The jailhouse blues are real, and they affect legal defenses and mental health. 20 percent of county jail inmates have a serious mental illness. Incarceration itself substantially or partially causes these mental illnesses. Confinement causes the body to produce catecholamines, the “fight or flight” stress hormone. Neither is an option in jail. Since defendants cannot […]
Why Does My Lawyer Want Me to Plead Guilty?
Frankly, some lawyers are scared to go to trial or too busy to prepare proper defenses, so they encourage their clients to plead guilty. Generally, however, an old saying applies in these cases. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Something good, a favorable plea bargain, is superior to the possibility […]
A Quick Five-Step Guide to Retail Theft Matters
During arrests, police officers use strobe lights on their vehicles and in their flashlights to confuse and disorient suspects. This technique often works, especially if the defendant hasn’t been in serious trouble before. When these cases go to court, prosecutors often stay with the shock-and-awe approach. Once again, this approach is usually effective if the […]
GA Murder Suspect Unable to Post $100k Bond
A Georgia woman accused of conspiring with two individuals to kill her husband is unable to post a $100,000 bond and remains in jail, according to her lawyer. Her two alleged accomplices were released on $20,000 bail. The 36-year-old Thomasville woman is accused of unsuccessfully conspiring with the two Bahamas natives to kill her husband […]
Getting and Staying Out of Jail Before Trial in Georgia
The brief Eighth Amendment, which forbids “excessive” bail, controls all aspects of pretrial release in Cobb County. This E-word refers not only to the initial amount of bail, but also to the conditions of pretrial release. In other words, the system must give defendants a fair chance to not only get out of jail after […]
