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In response to an intensive study about Georgia’s criminal justice system, the legislature in 2012 passed new laws governing the punishment of drug offenses. Surprisingly (especially for Georgia), the legislature actually reduced the punishment for possession offenses but did not alter those for crimes involving transactional offenses for drugs, meaning those dealing with selling, distributing or possessing with the intent… read more →

Trafficking in drugs occurs when a person possesses, sells, purchases or manufactures controlled substances in excess of a certain weight as set forth by statute. Some drugs require a great deal more weight to reach trafficking amounts than others. For example, trafficking in marijuana requires a minimum weight of 10 pounds (previously it was 50 pounds, which we can all… read more →

Preliminary Hearings (‘Prelims’ for short) are typically the second time a defendant appears before a judge after his arrest. The first hearing (called a First Appearance Hearing) is for the purpose of telling the defendant what his charges are, providing information about the process and his rights, and for appointing an attorney to represent him if he can’t afford one.… read more →

O.C.G.A.§16-5-24 defines Aggravated Battery as when a person maliciously causes bodily harm to another by depriving him/her of a part of their body, rendering a part of their body useless or by seriously disfiguring the person or a part of their body.  Battery, on the other hand, is defined as when a person causes ‘substantial’ physical or visible bodily harm… read more →