Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Georgia Criminal Defense – Find the Right Lawyer

Published on: July 7, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

Working with the criminal justice system in Georgia is a daunting experience, whether you’re facing a minor misdemeanor or a serious felony. The stakes are high: your freedom, reputation, and future are all at risk. But you are not alone. With the right information and a skilled criminal defense attorney, you can protect your rights and fight for the best possible outcome.

This comprehensive guide to Georgia criminal defense will help you understand your options, answer your most pressing questions, and connect you with the resources you need.

Georgia criminal defense lawyers Cory Yager, Bubba Head, and Larry Kohn have over 93 years of combined legal experience representing thousands of clients in municipal courts and state courts in the metro Atlanta area. Free consultation. Kohn & Yager Law Firm.

Why Do People Hire a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer?

What Is Battery Under Georgia Criminal Law?

Published on: June 13, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

In Georgia, the crime of battery occurs when there is actual physical contact with another human being that causes harm to that person. Keep reading to learn the key differences between simple battery, aggravated battery and assault. Simple battery involves minor physical harm or offensive touching. Aggravated battery involves severe physical harm, disfigurement, or the loss of a body part. And you can be arrested just for verbally threatening another individual under the criminal statute of assault or aggravated assault.

GA battery lawyers Larry Kohn, Cory Yager, and Bubba Head have a combined 95 years of courtroom experience defending clients facing misdemeanor and felony battery charges, assault, or a domestic violence conviction.

How Does Georgia Law Define Simple Battery?

Under Georgia law, simple battery typically involves causing physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature, or intentionally causing visible bodily harm such as bruises, cuts, or swelling. Simple battery is when someone intentionally touches or harms another person in a disrespectful or provoking way. Battery charges may be elevated based on who the alleged victim is, where the incident happened, or whether there was visible injury. Understanding exactly how the officer and prosecutor classify your charge is the first step in building a defense, because the label controls your maximum penalties and potential collateral consequences.

Simple Battery in Georgia: OCGA 16‑5‑23 Explained

Published on: May 27, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

By: Larry Kohn, award-winning Atlanta criminal defense lawyer since 1998 and an experienced simple battery lawyer and Cory Yager, ex-cop turned criminal defense attorney defending criminal charges since 2007

Under OCGA 16‑5‑23, a simple battery in Georgia means making physical contact that is insulting, provoking, or causes visible bodily harm. This guide explains Georgia simple battery penalties, what happens on a first offense, and ways an experienced criminal defense attorney can fight a simple battery charge in GA.

Simple battery in GA is a criminal charge that alleges physical contact between the accused and the victim. Jail time and more conviction penalties. Free lawyer case review.
Often, a phone call to our office is for a family member of our client, seeking to obtain a bond for a simple battery (or similar) family violence case. In rare occasions, one of our attorneys must make a jail visit, but typically, the potential client has bonded out of jail.

Criminal Defense Lawyer Felony Atlanta

Published on: April 30, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

Criminal defense lawyer felony Atlanta Larry Kohn has handled hundreds of felony cases over a 25-year legal career. His knowledge of Georgia felony criminal law is vast across many practice areas, including DUI, sex crimes, assault, domestic violence, and theft crimes.
Fighting a felony charge in Atlanta is one of the most frightening experiences a person can endure. The uncertainty, the fear of losing your freedom, and the worry about your future can feel crushing. But you do not have to face this alone. With a dedicated criminal defense lawyer for felony Atlanta by your side, you have a real chance to fight the charges and protect your future.

Understanding Felony Charges in Atlanta

In Georgia, felonies are the most serious types of criminal offenses. These can include violent crimes like aggravated assault or armed robbery, drug trafficking, sex crimes, theft, arson, and certain white-collar crimes. A felony conviction can mean years in prison, steep fines, and a permanent criminal record that can haunt you for the rest of your life. The legal system is complex, and the stakes are simply too high to go it alone.

Atlanta Criminal Lawyer – Kohn & Yager Law Firm

Published on: April 23, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

Facing criminal charges in Atlanta is a life-altering experience. The stakes are high—your freedom, reputation, and future are on the line. Whether you’re accused of a misdemeanor like a first offense DUI or a serious felony sex crime, understanding the workings of the criminal justice system and narrowing your search to the 10 best criminal lawyers Atlanta GA is crucial. This comprehensive guide explores everything you need to know about working with an Atlanta criminal lawyer, from finding the best defense attorney and understanding all costs, to knowing your rights and options if you choose to have the court appoint a public defender.

Atlanta criminal lawyers Cory Yager, Bubba Head, and Larry Kohn have a combined 90 years of courtroom litigation experience with thousands of cases handled successfully. We provide expert defense against DUI, sex crimes, theft, assault, burglary, shoplifting, and other misdemeanor and felony charges.
If you or a loved one is charged with a crime in Atlanta, you’re not alone. Every year, thousands of individuals face criminal allegations ranging from minor infractions to major felonies. The outcome of your case often depends on the quality and experience of your legal representation. This guide will help you understand the role of an Atlanta criminal lawyer, how to choose the right one, what to expect in terms of costs, and what to do if you can’t afford a private attorney.

What Sets the Best Atlanta Criminal Attorneys Apart?

Georgia DUI Lawyer – How to Find the Best One

Published on: April 22, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

Driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious offense in Georgia, with severe legal, financial, and personal consequences. Whether you’re facing your first DUI charge or have prior offenses, Georgia’s DUI laws and complex legal system are overwhelming. Our attorneys are in court every day of the week, and have been doing so for decades.

Georgia DUI lawyers Larry Kohn, Bubba Head, and Cory Yager have over 95 years of combined courtroom experience defending thousands of clients against damaging DUI charges. Free lawyer consultation and payment plans available.
You can call our office and speak with one of our knowledgeable paralegals. This person will gather information about you and your case, including the charges you face, what county and court, your first appearance date if you haven’t already been in front of a judge, and your telephone number. You must take the first step, but are under no obligation to hire us until we meet in person and you decide if we are the right legal team for you.

Should I Get a Lawyer for My First DUI in Georgia?

What Is the Most Common Sentence for a First DUI?

Published on: April 20, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

For most first-time DUI offenders in Georgia, the sentence is a combination of several penalties, rather than just one. The most common sentence for a first DUI in Georgia typically includes:

Fines: Expect to pay between $300 and $1,000, not including court costs and surcharges.
Jail Time: A minimum of 24 hours in jail is required by law, but this can be waived or converted to time served, especially if there are no aggravating circumstances. The maximum jail time is up to 12 months.

Reckless Driving Misdemeanor: GA Reckless Driving Jail Time

Published on: April 8, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

Reckless driving is a serious crime. In Georgia, reckless driving is more than just a traffic ticket. Reckless driving is one of the few “serious” misdemeanor offenses in the state exists. But any of these “serious” driving crimes can be the basis for a prosecutor adding very serious felony charges, when another person is the “victim” of such bad driving.

Atlanta DUI lawyer Cory Yager and his law partner Larry Kohn have handled many drunk driving reduced to reckless driving misdemeanor cases over two decades. An arrest is not a conviction!
How Both Reckless Driving vs DUI Georgia Are Similar. In misdemeanor reckless driving cases with bad accidents, serious injuries or deaths can lead to felony charges. The same is true for any driver charged with a DUI in Georgia in an incident where someone else dies or was grievously injured. Likewise, for a hit and run (leaving the scene of an accident) or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer when one or more people are badly injured or killed. Call Atlanta criminal lawyer Cory Yager if you have questions about your DUI or reckless driving case, Cory provides a free lawyer consultation to anyone looking to hire an experienced attorney in any metro Atlanta county. Our number is (404) 510-2800 and your call will be answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This can happen if a passenger, pedestrian, or someone in another vehicle is hurt badly or killed in connection with that serious driving offense. This is when a felony indictment will routinely be drafted, creating much larger legal problems for these accused citizens.

Georgia Driving Laws: Book Co-Authors on DUI Laws in GA

Published on: April 4, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

By: Ex-Cop Turned Criminal Lawyer Near Me Cory Yager, and Larry Kohn, Co-Authors of Georgia’s Leading Book on DUI in Georgia Laws

Navigating the legal landscape of state DUI laws can be complex. In America, no two states have the same DWI-DUI laws. However, many other state laws are like our Georgia drinking and driving laws.

This is because DUI charges in Georgia must follow federal highway safety laws. NHTSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation, helped all states to create these laws. So, Georgia driving under the influence laws will often have about 90% of the same types of laws as nearby states for their impaired driving statutes.

The 2006 Paris Hilton DUI Arrest and Wet Reckless Plea in CA

Published on: March 6, 2025 | Kohn & Yager LLC

By: William C. Head, Larry Kohn and Cory Yager, Top-Rated DUI Defense Lawyers in Georgia and Legal Book Co-Authors

While no other state has a “wet” reckless statute, the highly publicized case involving Paris Hilton highlights the importance of engaging genuine experts in DUI law to consistently achieve the most favorable outcomes. Settling a client’s case instead of fighting that very “winnable” case is not only not wise, but (as in this example) apparently set up the client for failure within a week’s time.

Atlanta criminal defense lawyers Cory Yager, Bubba Head, and Larry Kohn explain why Georgia has no wet reckless charge like the one Paris Hilton was charged with. Georgia does have a reckless driving charge, and a DUI can be reduced to this lesser offense.
Hollywood influencer Paris Hilton was arrested in Hollywood, California for a DUI on September 7, 2006. Her “reading” was 0.080 grams percent, which was (and still is) the lowest adult BAC level for the State of California allowing for a possible conviction of DUI per se or “driving with an unlawful alcohol level.”