Criminal Defense in Georgia

Georgia classifies crimes as felonies (punishable by 1+ years) and misdemeanors (up to 12 months). Defense costs range from $2,000-$5,000 for misdemeanors to $5,000-$55,000 for serious felonies. Georgia has mandatory minimum sentences for many violent crimes, including "Seven Deadly Sins" offenses (murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery) that carry minimum 10-25 year sentences without parole. The state implemented First Offender Act provisions allowing eligible defendants to receive special probation without a conviction on their record. Georgia's accountability courts include drug courts, DUI courts, mental health courts, and veterans courts offering treatment-focused alternatives. Fulton County (Atlanta) has significant criminal caseload pressures leading to extended pretrial detention times. Georgia's Stand Your Ground law eliminates the duty to retreat in any place where a person has a legal right to be, creating unique self-defense case dynamics.