Georgia law recognizes four degrees of forgery, each carrying different penalties:
First Degree Forgery: Involves making, altering, or possessing any forged writing (except checks) and uttering or delivering it.
Second Degree Forgery: Similar to first degree, but without uttering or delivering the forged document.
Many people contact our law office to ask, “What is illegal gambling in Georgia?” Most gambling is illegal in Georgia, with only a few exceptions allowed. The only forms of gambling allowed in Georgia are the Georgia State Lottery, charitable raffles, and bingo games.
The minimum gambling age in Georgia is 18 years for the lottery and bingo. Georgia defines gambling as betting on games or contests or playing cards, dice, or ball games to win money or valuable items. Below are the key points about gambling laws in Georgia.
Is gambling legal in Georgia? For the most part, no it is not. Illegal gambling is a crime in Georgia. It can lead to misdemeanor charges with harsh penalties upon conviction. Penalties may include up to 1 year in jail. Fines can exceed $1,000, or both jail time and fines. Other sentencing penalties include extended probation, and asset seizure in some cases.
The metro Atlanta area offers many waterways where Georgians and residents of other states can enjoy boating, skiing, fishing, and just riding around Lake Lanier on a clear day. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) oversees all boating activities. They enforce laws to keep everyone safe. Sometimes those regulations are broken and arrests are made on the Chattahoochee River and other recreational areas.
This comprehensive guide covers key regulations to help boaters stay safe and compliant on Georgia’s waterways. Larry Kohn is a top criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia. He has more than 500 five-star AVVO reviews and is knowledgeable about boating laws in Georgia.
Are you facing bigamy charges in Georgia? As a criminal defense attorney with over 500 AVVO 5-star reviews, Larry Kohn has extensive experience defending clients against complex legal accusations, including bigamy. This comprehensive guide will help you understand the intricacies of bigamy laws in Georgia and the potential consequences of such charges.
Under Georgia law, bigamy is defined as the act of marrying another person or carrying on a bigamous cohabitation while knowingly being married to a living spouse. This offense is taken seriously in the state and can result in severe legal consequences.
Feticide in GA is when someone intentionally causes the death of an unborn child by harming the mother. This would be considered murder if it resulted in the mother’s death. Feticide can also occur by causing the death of the fetus while committing a felony. This feticide definition is outlined in Georgia Code § 16-5-80.
The law applies to “unborn children” at any stage of development in the womb. New laws, such as the six-week abortion ban in 2022, aim to protect the rights of unborn babies. These laws may also bring more focus on actions that could harm a fetus.
Georgia’s feticide law has changed recently, along with laws in other states. This happened after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The state Supreme Court has upheld Georgia’s six-week abortion ban.
O.C.G.A. §16-4-8 is the Georgia statute that defines the criminal offense of conspiracy to commit a crime. The conspiracy itself is a separate crime from the underlying offense. Here are the key points about this law:
Definition: A person commits conspiracy in Georgia when they, together with one or more other persons, conspire to commit any crime and any one of them does an overt act to effect the object of the conspiracy.
These 2 conditions must be met to be considered conspiracy:
According to Georgia Code § 16-7-22, a person commits criminal damage to property in the first degree when they:
In Georgia, cities and municipalities can make their own laws called local ordinances.
A city ordinance violation is not considered a misdemeanor or felony, but it is still a punishable offense under state law.
During your arraignment, you or your criminal defense lawyer will enter a plea at your first court date. The Georgia municipal court handles cases that occur in the town where the infraction occurred. You do not have an automatic right to a jury trial for ordinance violations .
In Georgia, burglary is characterized as the illegal entry or staying within a building with the intention to carry out a felony or robbery inside.
Important points: This theft crime can occur without breaking in – entering through an unlocked door without permission is still illegal.
A burglary happens when someone goes into a place planning to commit a crime, such as theft or a felony. This is true even if they don’t actually go through with it. Robbery is taking something from a person using force or threats. Prosecutors typically prosecute both charges as felonies in Georgia.
Georgia passed a new weapon carry law on April 12, 2022. This law allows people to carry handguns in public without needing permits issued. The law applies to those who are lawful weapons carriers.
A “lawful weapons carrier” is defined as:
Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog