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Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer

When you need a Georgia criminal defense lawyer, Hines Law Firm defends people charged with crimes across metro Atlanta and North Georgia, in English and Spanish. From DUI and drug charges to assault and serious felonies, we step in early to protect your rights and test how the state built its case.

An arrest changes the shape of an ordinary week. One day, the worry is work and family; the next, it is a court date, a bond condition, and a charge that is hard to make sense of. Whatever led here, the person facing the charge is still a person, and the case ahead has more moving parts than a first reading suggests.

A criminal charge in Georgia is not a single event. It is a process with deadlines, hearings, and choices that start shaping your life right away, often before you have spoken to a lawyer. What you do in the first weeks can change what the case looks like months later.

If you are trying to understand what you are up against, a free consultation is a good place to start.

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What a Criminal Charge Puts at Risk

The Consequences Reach Past the Courtroom

A criminal case does not stay in the courtroom. Beyond jail or probation, a conviction can follow you into job applications, housing, professional licenses, and, for people who are not citizens. The charge itself, before any finding of guilt, can affect where you work and how you move through your week. A record can outlast a sentence by years.

Why an Early Defense Changes a Case

The response matters as much as the charge. A prosecutor builds a case from police reports, witness statements, and physical evidence. A defense lawyer reads that same material for the gaps: a stop without cause, a search that crossed a line, a witness whose account does not hold. Evidence is easiest to preserve, and accounts easiest to check, in the first weeks after an arrest.

Waiting rarely helps a case, and it can quietly narrow what a lawyer is able to do later.

Felony or Misdemeanor: How Georgia Sorts Criminal Charges

Georgia draws its first line at one year. The label a charge carries, misdemeanor or felony, sets the range of punishment and much of what follows a conviction. Knowing which side of that line you are on is the starting point for any real conversation about defense.

What Counts as a Misdemeanor in Georgia?

A misdemeanor in Georgia carries up to 12 months of jail time and a fine of up to $1,000. Some offenses fall into a second tier: misdemeanors of a high and aggravated nature, which keep the same 12-month ceiling but raise the maximum fine to $5,000.

A charge can move into that tier when there is a prior conviction for the same offense, or when the victim was a protected person such as a family member, an officer, or an older adult. Misdemeanors still create a record, and some carry mandatory jail time a judge cannot suspend.

What Makes a Charge a Felony?

A felony is any offense punishable by more than 12 months, and felony time is served in state prison rather than county jail. Sentences run from a year to decades depending on the charge.

The collateral effects are heavier too: loss of firearm rights, loss of the right to vote while incarcerated, and a record that surfaces on nearly every background check. Because the stakes climb so fast at this line, keeping a case on the misdemeanor side is often where a defense begins.

/ What Our Clients Have To Say

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“Thank you all for the help during the time of uncertainty , very attentive and very professional group of individuals especially Julian who is a very great part of the team. Took time out of his day to reach out to you either through email or phone call. Your questions will be answered. Thank you all for the great help. 🙏🏽”

Juan Pesina
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“They are a team of very responsible, kind and dedicated professionals, they were always aware of all the details of the case and keeping us informed about each step we should take, I recommend them 100% Thanks so much, Great job”

Vanessa
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“They are an excellent team, they always attended to all my concerns, defending my rights and representing me throughout the process.  they always made me feel calm and trusting of them.  I highly recommend them.  They met all my expectations.”

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“Helped me so much during my accident. I recommend this firm to everyone I know and meet they’re just that amazing and I love that their team is bilingual!!”

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How a Georgia Criminal Case Moves

Most cases follow a recognizable path, even though the pace and details differ. The state’s trial courts are split by level, with superior courts hearing felonies and state courts handling misdemeanors. Understanding the sequence helps you see where the decisions are.

From Arrest to Arraignment

A case usually begins with arrest and booking, followed by a first appearance where a judge sets bond and conditions. Arraignment comes next, where the charges are formally read and a plea is entered. These early dates set the terms you will live under while the case is open, which is why representation from the start matters.

From Discovery to Resolution

After arraignment, both sides exchange evidence through discovery, and the defense tests how the case was built. From there a case can end in a dismissal, a negotiated plea, a reduced charge, or a trial. A case prepared for trial tends to draw better options at every earlier step. Preparation becomes leverage, whether or not a case ever reaches a jury.

Assault, Battery, and the Charges People Confuse

Few areas of Georgia law get tangled together as often as assault and battery. People use the words interchangeably, and news reports blur them further, but Georgia treats them as separate crimes with separate elements. Knowing which one you actually face is the first step in answering it.

Assault Versus Battery

Assault under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-20 does not require a single touch. It covers an attempt to injure someone or an act that puts a person in reasonable fear of immediate harm. Battery is the physical side: simple battery under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23 covers offensive or provoking contact, while battery under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23.1 involves visible bodily harm. In their basic forms, both are misdemeanors.

The distinction matters because the evidence is different. An assault case often turns on what was said and how a threat was perceived. A battery case turns on contact and injury. A defense that fits one can miss the other entirely.

When It Becomes Aggravated

The felony versions raise the stakes sharply. Aggravated assault under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-21 applies when an assault involves a deadly weapon or an intent to rob, rape, or murder, and it carries 1 to 20 years. Aggravated battery under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-24 applies when someone is maliciously left with serious disfigurement or a lost or useless body part, and it carries the same range.

What pushes a case from misdemeanor to felony is often a contested fact: whether an object counted as a deadly weapon, or how serious an injury really was. Those are the exact points a defense examines.

Family Violence Charges

When the person harmed is a spouse, a partner, a parent, or another household member, a battery charge becomes family violence battery under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-23.1. A first family violence battery is a misdemeanor, but a second or later offense becomes a felony punishable by 1 to 5 years.

These cases carry consequences that reach past sentencing. Firearm restrictions and no-contact conditions can separate a person from their home and children while the case is still pending.

Charged with a violent crime in metro Atlanta? Contact Hines Law Firm through our contact page for a free, confidential consultation with a Georgia criminal defense lawyer.

Other Charges We Defend Across Georgia

Violent crimes are one part of a broader practice. Hines Law Firm handles the full range of charges Georgians face, and each category carries its own rules and defenses.

Drug Charges

Georgia drug cases run from simple possession to trafficking, and the charge often depends on weight, type, and where the arrest happened. Many drug cases hinge on the stop and search that produced the evidence, which is where a defense frequently focuses. The gap between a possession charge and a trafficking charge can be enormous.

Theft and Property Crimes

Theft charges range from misdemeanor shoplifting to felony theft by taking, with the line usually set by the value involved. Intent is often the contested question, and the label can shift dramatically based on the amount at stake.

DUI and Serious Traffic Offenses

A DUI under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 starts both a court case and a separate 30-day fight over your license through the Department of Driver Services. Serious traffic charges like vehicular homicide and habitual violator cases carry felony exposure and need the same close attention as any other felony.

Probation Violations and Warrants

A probation violation can send someone back before a judge without the protections of a new trial, and an outstanding warrant does not improve with time. Both are worth addressing early, with a lawyer, rather than waiting for a traffic stop to force the issue.

Why People Bring These Cases to Hines Law Firm

We prepare every case as if it will be tried. Building toward a jury from day one changes how the state approaches a case, and it keeps every option open, from dismissal to negotiation to trial.

We work in English and Spanish. Spanish-speaking clients get the same clear guidance at every step, without a language barrier standing between them and their own defense.

We are close to your courthouse. With seven offices across metro Atlanta and North Georgia, the firm covers the counties where these cases are actually heard, from Fulton and Cobb to Gwinnett and Whitfield.

The first conversation costs nothing. A free, confidential consultation lets you understand the charge and your options before making any decision about representation.

Georgia Criminal Defense Questions Our Attorneys Hear Most

01

Do I need a lawyer for a first-time misdemeanor?

A first misdemeanor still creates a criminal record and can carry jail time, fines, and conditions that affect work and daily life. A lawyer can look for ways to challenge the charge, keep it off your record where the law allows, or resolve it in a way that limits the long-term cost. The stakes are lower than a felony, but they are not nothing.

02

Can a felony be reduced to a misdemeanor in Georgia?

Sometimes. Depending on the charge, the evidence, and your history, some felony cases can be negotiated down or handled as misdemeanors, and others can be challenged before they reach that point. Whether it is possible depends on the specific facts, which is why an early case review matters.

03

What should I do right after an arrest in Georgia?

Write down what you remember while it is fresh, keep any paperwork you were given, and avoid discussing the case with anyone but a lawyer, including on jail phone lines that are recorded. Then talk to a criminal defense attorney before your first court date, so someone is reviewing the case from the start.

04

What happens if I just talk to the police and explain?

You have the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer, and using both is rarely the wrong choice. Officers are gathering evidence, and a well-meant explanation can become part of the case against you. It is fair and lawful to say you want a lawyer before answering questions.

05

How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost?

The cost depends on the charge, its complexity, and how far the case goes. Rather than guess at a number, Hines Law Firm starts with a free consultation, where you can lay out the situation and get a straight answer about what representation would involve before you commit to anything.

06

How long can a criminal charge affect my life in Georgia?

A criminal record can follow you long after a sentence ends, surfacing on background checks for jobs, housing, and professional licenses. Even a charge that never leads to a conviction can show up while a case is open. Because those effects reach well past the courtroom, how a charge is handled from the start can matter for years.

07

Does Hines Law Firm handle cases in Spanish?

Yes. Hines Law Firm provides full bilingual representation in English and Spanish, so Spanish-speaking clients receive the same guidance and defense in the language they are most comfortable using, from the first call through resolution.

Talk to a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer

A charge feels final when it is handed to you, but it is the beginning of a process, not the end of one. The earlier a defense lawyer is reviewing the stop, the evidence, and the paperwork, the more room a case has to move.

Hines Law Firm defends people across metro Atlanta and North Georgia, in English and Spanish, and the first consultation is free. Reach out through our contact page to talk through your charge and what comes next.

Consultations are free. Se habla español.

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/ Areas We Serve

Convenient Offices Across Georgia & Tennessee

Atlanta

678-846-3161

Hines Law 1100 Circle 75 Pkwy SE, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30339

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Austell

678-359-6025

Hines Law 5000 Austell-Powder Springs Road, Suite 282 Austell, GA 30106

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Gainesville

678-990-8905

Hines Law 175 John W. Morrow Junior Pkwy Gainesville, GA 30501

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Fayetteville

678-972-1521

Hines Law 101 Beckett Ln Ste 402 Fayetteville, GA 30214

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Marietta

678-679-4076

Hines Law 680 Powder Springs St SW #106-A, Marietta, GA 30064

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Dalton

706-661-8263

Hines Law 2709 Airport Rd Ste 105, Dalton, GA 30721

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Norcross

706-661-8296

Hines Law 2190 N Norcross Tucker Rd Suite 104A, Norcross, GA 30071

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Brentwood, TN

615-653-4875

Hines Law 105 Westpark Dr STE 355, Brentwood, TN 37027

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Areas We Serve
Acworth
Alpharetta
Atlanta
Austell
Braselton
Brentwood, TN
Cumming
Dalton
Doraville
Fayetteville
Gainesville
Jonesboro
Lawrenceville
Marietta
Norcross
Sandy Springs