While the initial judge may not give your friend a bond based on his criminal record, an attorney can petition the court to reconsider whether to grant bond. His new charges are eligible for bond, it will just take the right lawyer to convince to prosecutor to arrive at a bond agreement or the... View More

Hi, the officer always has discretion as to the type of charges he or she wants to bring, so in the situation you described, it sounds like your friend was charged with the more serious offense (possession of methamphetamines) and not the misdemeanor (use or possession of drug related objects).

Family violence does not always mean parties who are a couple or considered family by blood or marriage, although that can be the case. If the person lives with or has lived with the other person, or if the person shares children with the person, this is considered family per the laws of Georgia.... View More

In determining whether a person had the intent to shoplift, the courts will usually look at whether you or the accused passed all points of sale (all registers, cashiers, self-check out, etc.). It depends on where you were in the store when they stopped you.

Bonds in Henry County are generally pretty fair and are similar bonds found in other Metro Atlanta counties. The main issues the judge will look at in determining the amount of bond (if a bond is indeed granted) is whether the individual has a likelihood of violating the law while out on bond and... View More

Failure to maintain lane is a relatively low bar in Georgia. If you crossed either the solid white line on the outside of your lane or the lines between lanes, this could result in a failure to maintain lane citation. This is true whether or not there is an accident.

Discovery (dash cam... View More

The statute of limitations depends on which type of family violence charge you are facing. There are several criminal offenses that qualify as family violence cases. Some charges like simple battery and criminal trespass are misdemeanors while others, such as aggravated assault or criminal damage... View More

If you had no intention to actually flee, the prosecutor may consider dismissing the charge or reducing.

Warrants do not show up on your GCIC in Georgia. Once you turn yourself in or once you are formally apprehended, then the charge MAY show up on your criminal history.

Was he formally indicted? If not, did the state ask for more time?

No, a Judge does not read the discovery documents unless they are filed in the Court or presented as evidence at trial. Simply giving the other side does not automatically mean the Judge receives the discovery.

The only way to get around this is for your daughter to file a speedy trial demand. If she wants to move the case through the system quicker this is the way to go. She should be mindful, though, that once this demand is filed the case will likely move very quickly. If you do not already have an... View More

Judges have discretion as to whether to give a bond on fugitive warrants, but most judges deny bond in these cases for fear that the defendant is a flight risk. We regularly handle matters in Henry County and Atlanta, however, cannot give a ballpark figure as to cost of representation because that... View More

If the probation order stated no contact and the order is still in place, you must abide by all conditions. However, if the Order is no longer in place, the conditions of the order are also no longer in place. Now, this does not mean that you will automatically be able to contact your daughter.... View More

Are you sure this it what the waiver covered? There are a number of different waivers in criminal law, so without having more information and without seeing the waiver, I cannot provide much more information.

If he only has technical violations (failure to report), depending on the length of time that he has failed to report, the reasons he failed to report, and the amount of time he has left, this may be an option for him. There are a number of different factors that go into this equation.

If you have two sentences running concurrently and one is for a longer period than the other, the longer period is what guides the sentencing . For example, if one charge carries a sentence for 6 months and the other charge carries a sentence for 9 months and the Judge orders them to run... View More

This answer depends on how long you have been on probation, what types of violation(s) you received, as well as the recommendation of the State/Probation Officer. Often, before a Court determines whether a program is a more appropriate placement than jail/prison, they will consider any number of... View More

If you are asking what is the fine associated with this charge, you will need to call the clerk to see what the posted charge is. If, however, you are asking what an attorney would charge, you should contact the Firm directly. Some firms, like mine, give free quotes for traffic representation.

If you currently live with your brother and can show the court that he was violent and will likely be violent in the future, you may have a valid claim for a Temporary Protective Order.