Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

What Is the NCIC Database? The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a centralized criminal justice database maintained by the FBI. The agency launched it in 1967. It serves as the backbone of law enforcement information sharing across the United States. The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division operates the system from Clarksburg, West…

Can You Get a Ticket for Having a Headlight out in Georgia? Yes, you can get a ticket for having a broken, missing, or burned-out headlight, because Georgia requires headlights to be kept in proper working condition. Officers regularly write citations for this equipment failure. Georgia requires every motor vehicle on a highway to display…

What Is a No Trespassing Order in Georgia? A no trespassing order in Georgia is not a formal court order. It is a criminal trespass warning – sometimes called a "ban letter" or criminal trespass notice. A property owner or authorized person gives this notice to someone they want to keep off their property. Once…

What Is Odometer Fraud? Odometer fraud – also called odometer tampering or "clocking" – means changing a car's mileage to fool a buyer. A seller may roll back, disconnect, reset, or simply misrepresent the number. The goal is to hide how far the vehicle has actually travelled. That inflates the resale price, and it conceals…

What Is the MADD Victim Impact Panel? The MADD Victim Impact Panel is a court-ordered class. People convicted of drunk driving sit and listen while crash victims tell their stories. Court paperwork and search results often spell the program out in full, as the Mothers Against Drunk Driving MADD Victims Impact Panel. It is the…

The Short Answer: A DUI Conviction Cannot Be Expunged in Georgia People searching for DUI expungement in Georgia usually want one thing. They want the arrest and the conviction gone from background checks. Georgia law does not offer that for a DUI conviction. The state has no "expungement" at all in the traditional sense. It…

The Baseline: What Georgia Requires Before Any Aggravation Drivers arrested in Atlanta, Marietta, Decatur, Alpharetta, Lawrenceville, or Jonesboro ask our DUI attorneys the same first question. How much will this cost me, and am I going to jail? If you are convicted of DUI, your fine and jail time will be increased if certain facts…

What Does 'Too Fast for Conditions' Mean in Georgia? 'Too Fast for conditions' means driving at a speed that is unsafe for current road, weather, traffic, or visibility conditions – even if the driver is at or below the posted speed limit. This charge differs from a standard speeding ticket. A regular speeding citation targets…

What Are Home Defense Laws? Home defense laws are state statutes and common-law doctrines. They govern when a resident may use force – including deadly force – against an intruder. Home defense laws by state differ dramatically, and the rules where you live may look nothing like the rules one state over. Three core legal…

What Is a Following Too Close Ticket in Georgia? A following too close ticket is issued when a driver fails to keep a safe gap behind the vehicle ahead. In Georgia, the charge comes from the following distance statute. Georgia law requires drivers to "not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent."…