Articles Posted in Criminal Defense

An affray is when people fight or threaten violence in public, causing fear or disturbance to others. It is a legal term for a public order offense. Georgia Code OCGA § 16-11-32 defines it.

Public Disturbance: The essential element of affray is that the fight or threat of violence must disturb public tranquility. This means that the actions must cause fear or alarm to ordinary people present at the scene.

In most places, affray means wanting to fight, having at least two people involved, and it happening in a public place. In Georgia, affray is when two or more people fight in a public place and disturb the peace.

Third-degree arson in Georgia involves knowingly setting fire to personal property valued at $25 or more. 3rd degree arson punishment can include a fine of up to $10,000 and a prison sentence for up to five years. A lawyer can explain the specifics of the charges against you and the potential penalties you face.

If you have been arrested for third-degree arson in Georgia, hiring a criminal defense lawyer can significantly impact the outcome of your arson case. Here are several ways a competent lawyer can help you:

Thorough Knowledge of the Local Atlanta Legal System

Arson in the second degree in Georgia is a serious felony offense. According to Georgia Code § 16-7-61, a person commits this crime when they knowingly use fire or explosives to damage any building, vehicle, railroad car, watercraft, aircraft, or other structure that is not a dwelling, without the owner’s consent or in which another has a security interest, such as a mortgage or lien, without the consent of both parties involved. This can also occur during the commission of another felony, for example during a robbery.

If convicted of arson in the second degree, the penalties can be severe and include:

Up to a $25,000 fine

In Georgia, first-degree arson is a serious crime. It occurs when someone intentionally sets fire to property or uses explosives to damage it. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 16-7-60 outlines the legal framework for first-degree arson.

Definition and Elements

An individual is guilty of first-degree arson if they intentionally inflict or result in damage to:

Georgia criminal law defines aggravated sexual battery under Georgia Code § 16-6-22.2. This offense occurs when someone penetrates another person’s sexual organ or anus with a foreign object with or without the consent of that person. The term “foreign object” refers to any article or instrument other than the sexual organ of a person. For example, penetration by a weapon like a pistol meets the legal definition of a foreign object.

If you were arrested and charged with aggravated sexual battery in Georgia, you must understand the seriousness of this offense. If you are convicted of this sex crime, you must also know the potential punishment. You should set up a free consultation with a sex crimes criminal defense lawyer immediately. He or she will ask you what led to your arrest, your previous arrest history if any, and explain your defense strategies and next steps.

Atlanta aggravated sexual assault lawyer Larry Kohn has over 500 Google 5-star reviews, and has been named a Super Lawyer since 2019. Larry can help with any type of sex crime case in Georgia.
It is important to understand Georgia sexual aggravated assault laws. Ask questions and get accurate answers as your case moves through the court system. Ultimately, gaining knowledge about GA sex crime laws can help you get your life back on track.

By: Atlanta Criminal Defense Attorney Cory Yager, Atlanta DUI Lawyer and Former Cop

Being charged with a crime, for many, is an out-of-body experience. Others talk about thinking they are about to awaken from a nightmare. Many who feel the handcuffs being cinched closed around their wrists envision themselves being sentenced to years in prison.

Atlanta criminal lawyers Larry Kohn and Cory Yager are both Georgia Super Lawyers, the highest legal services rating possible.
Because the metro Atlanta area is an extremely high population area, there are many good lawyers in Atlanta GA, in all practice areas. As a percentage, though, those Atlanta lawyers are rated to be the great Atlanta defense attorneys at handling a criminal case are far less than 1/10 of one percent of all these top lawyers in Atlanta GA who hold themselves out to be criminal defense lawyers.

This Article provides time-sensitive information about what happens when you get a DUI in Georgia. Read ALL of the contents, for a full understanding of what is ahead of you, on this legal journey for being charged with DUI alcohol or DUI drugs.

What happens when you get a DUI in Georgia? When a person is arrested for DUI in the Peach State, most first offenders want to know more about punishment for DUI in Georgia. Thinking that they will be convicted under DUI GA law, they begin researching Georgia DUI penalties. (See similar 8.5 inch by 11 inch form, below).

Administrative License Suspension Form DDS 1205 is filled out by the police officer who arrested you for DUI alcohol or DUI drugs. You have 30 days to file an ALS appeal or your license will be suspended.
RED ALERT! Before going any further, HAVE YOU TAKEN CARE OF THE ALL-IMPORTANT Administrative License Suspension, for which your plastic license was taken from you? This is the potentially harshest DUI punishment Georgia first offenders will face, and yet many arrestees for DUI offenses procrastinate and don’t act in time.

GA State Senator Gregory Kirk was able to pass a bill that provides more protection for a good samaritan who attempts to free a child froma hot car left unattended while the driver shops or eats. The new law keeps the samaritan from facing criminal chanrges if they damage a person's vehicle during the rescue.

Many states have criminal laws that punish parents and caregivers with fines and even jail time if they leave a child unattended in a car. But while those same individuals can be charged with child cruelty in Georgia, this state does not have any laws specifically pertaining to children left in hot cars.

However, in February 2015 the Georgia Senate did pass a bill that would protect good Samaritans when trying to save a child from a hot car.

But there are precautions that a Samaritan must take before breaking into a vehicle.

If you are in search of a criminal defense attorney Atlanta due to facing criminal charges in the State of Georgia, it is crucial to hire an Atlanta criminal lawyer with “clout.” When used in this context, “clout” means having built a reputation of influence or power for a given task. For our firm of Atlanta criminal defense attorney professionals, we are in the criminal defense business.

In the criminal law legal arena, a highly skilled, experienced and tenacious Atlanta criminal attorney that is unafraid of law enforcement is the starting point. One of our partners, Atlanta criminal defense attorney Cory Yager is an ex-police officer for nearly a decade, part of which he was an FTO (field training officer) that trained new police recruits. Partner Larry Kohn has over 545 AVVO rating that are 5-star rankings.

Atlanta criminal attorney Larry Kohn began work for Bubba Head in June of 1996. In 2023, he is ranked among the highest of all criminal law attorneys in Georgia.
Having a top law firm in your corner can greatly impact the outcome of your case due to the complexity of the criminal litigation process and the pre-trial and trial process.

This article discusses a crime known (alternatively) as domestic violence (DV) or family violence (FV) in Georgia. All crimes in the Peach State are codified in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated or OCGA for short.

OCGA Assault and Simple Assault: Assault is placing someone in fear of apprehension or bodily harm. OGCA simple assault, a misdemeanor, occurs when some touching or contact took place but no cut, bruise or internal damage to the “victim” took place. OCGA simple assault is handled by Georgia’s misdemeanor-level courts, like the State Court of Fulton County.

OCGA Battery and Simple Battery: Battery is touching, hitting, or striking another person. A battery charge in Georgia has a misdemeanor component called OCGA simple battery or a “simple battery charge” in Georgia.

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