Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

How Long Can You Be Held Without Bond in Georgia? In Georgia, a person arrested without a warrant must generally appear before a judge within 48 hours. If police made the arrest with a warrant, state law requires a first appearance within 72 hours. For most misdemeanors and lower-level felonies, a judge sets bond at…

By Atlanta Criminal Defense Lawyer Larry Kohn, a 28-year veteran defender in Georgia courtrooms and a Super Lawyer for 9 consecutive years. Reckless driving in Georgia can be charged as a serious misdemeanor or even as a felony. Georgia files reckless driving under its article on serious traffic offenses, alongside vehicular homicide and hit and…

Most forms of gambling are illegal in Georgia in 2026. The only legal exceptions are the Georgia State Lottery, licensed charitable bingo, and charitable raffles. Casino games and sports betting are both banned, and that ban covers online sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Bovada, and Novig. Horse and dog racing bets are illegal too, as…

By Atlanta DUI Lawyer Larry Kohn, a 28-Year Courtroom Veteran Who Has Handled Thousands of DUI Cases The most common sentence for a first DUI in Georgia in 2026 typically includes multiple conviction penalties like community service, an alcohol and drug abuse assessment, court fines, reporting probation, DUI school, suspended license, an ignition interlock, and…

Georgia treats simple battery, battery, simple assault, and aggravated assault as four separate crimes. Any one of them becomes a family violence case when the alleged victim is a family or household member. That single label changes the penalties and the lasting consequences. It also changes how a court handles the case, far more than…

A Motion to Suppress in Georgia DUI Cases A motion to suppress is a pretrial request. It asks a Georgia judge to throw out evidence that came from an illegal stop, search, test, or interrogation. In Georgia, DUI is a criminal charge under Georgia's DUI statute. The same arrest also starts a separate civil case…

By Atlanta Traffic Ticket Lawyer Larry Kohn With Over 600 AVVO 5-Star Reviews and Almost 30 Years of Courtroom Experience Failure to maintain lane GA means not keeping your vehicle entirely within a single lane or changing lanes without first ensuring it’s safe to do so. This traffic offense is defined under OCGA 40-6-48 .…

Why License Points Matter so Much in Georgia The Georgia DDS (Department of Driver Services) uses a points system for adult drivers. Drivers age 21 and over face suspension after 15 points in 24 months. Drivers under 21 face suspension from a single 4-point offense. A speeding conviction adds 2 to 6 points depending on…

Is forging a signature a felony in Georgia? Usually yes: signing another person's name with intent to defraud is charged as forgery, and most of those charges are felonies. Forgery in Georgia is both a misdemeanor and a felony, depending on the degree. Clients often ask our criminal defense attorneys: is forgery a misdemeanor or…

By Atlanta Criminal Defense Lawyer Larry Kohn – Super Lawyer 9 Years In a Row With Over 28 Years As a Top Atlanta Attorney The Georgia First Offender Act is a sentencing option that allows certain first-time misdemeanor and felony offenders to avoid a permanent mark on their criminal record. Under this act, eligible individuals…