Georgia Non Violent Crime Defense Attorneys

If you have been charged with a non-violent crime in Georgia, you are in need of experienced legal representation. At Conaway & Strickler, P.C., our Atlanta criminal defense attorneys have been aggressively defending clients accused of non-violent charges for more than a decade. We have extensive knowledge of Georgia criminal law, and may be able to have your charges dropped or your sentence reduced. There is a chance that you are facing serious charges, so please contact Conaway & Strickler today for a free consultation with an Atlanta non violent crime defense attorney and to find out how we can help you.

Resisting Arrest

The following is an excerpt from Georgia Code 25-2-9. (b) regarding resisting arrest "Personnel employed and authorized by the state fire marshal shall have the power to make arrests for criminal violations established as a result of investigations. Such personnel must hold certification as a peace officer from the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and shall have the power to execute arrest warrants and search warrants for criminal violations and to arrest, upon probable cause and without warrant, any person found violating any of the provisions of applicable criminal laws. Authorized personnel empowered to make arrests pursuant to this Code section shall be empowered to carry firearms as authorized by the state fire marshal in the performance of their duties. It shall be unlawful for any person to resist an arrest authorized by this Code section or to interfere in any manner, including abetting or assisting such resistance or interference, with personnel employed by the state fire marshal in the duties imposed upon such personnel by law."

In the State of Georgia you may be arrested, with or without a warrant, by various law enforcement officers, including police officers, highway patrol officers, county sheriffs, and D.A. investigators. A law enforcement officer does not have to witness you committing a felony in order to arrest you, but they must witness you commit a misdemeanor (lesser crime) to arrest you for a misdemeanor. It is illegal to evade police or make any attempt to resist arrest, and if you do so you may be charged with a felony or misdemeanor.

Obstruction

Obstruction of justice is the attempt to interfere or prevent, or the actual interference of an investigation by various means, such as bribery, influencing one or more jurors, theft of records, picketing, conspiracy, and retaliation against witnesses. There are numerous U.S. laws which prohibit obstruction of any kind in regard to criminal matters, as well as other legal matters.

Title 18, Part I, Chapter 73, Section 1510 (a) of the U.S. Code states that "Whoever willfully endeavors by means of bribery to obstruct, delay, or prevent the communication of information relating to a violation of any criminal statute of the United States by any person to a criminal investigator shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly conduct is a term which is used to describe numerous behaviors which are illegal, and in many cases the bothersome activities and conduct are decided upon by each state independently. Some examples of disorderly conduct may include being drunk in public and loitering, and O.C.G.A. § 16-11-39 (3) states that "(3) Without provocation, uses to or of another person in such other personīs presence, opprobrious or abusive words which by their very utterance tend to incite to an immediate breach of the peace, that is to say, words which as a matter of common knowledge and under ordinary circumstances will, when used to or of another person in such other personīs presence, naturally tend to provoke violent resentment, that is, words commonly called 'fighting words';"

Harassing phone calls

Making frequent and unwanted phone calls, including those which are obscene, annoying, or threatening in nature may be considered harassment in the State of Georgia. In certain situations the police will look for a reason for the alleged harassing phone calls, and may try to link them to family violence or stalking.

Georgia Code 16-11-39.1 states that "(a) A person commits the offense of harassing phone calls if such person telephones another person repeatedly, whether or not conversation ensues, for the purpose of annoying, harassing, or molesting another person or the family of such other person; uses over the telephone language threatening bodily harm; telephones and intentionally fails to hang up or disengage the connection; or knowingly permits any telephone under such person's control to be used for any purpose prohibited by this subsection. (b) Any person who commits the offense of harassing phone calls shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."