When it comes to criminal charges in Marietta, you need a Marietta criminal lawyer with real courtroom EXPERIENCE. A seasoned attorney can defend you against serious felony and misdemeanor charges.

Cobb County State Court (on the square in Marietta) conducts jury trials on DUI and other misdemeanor cases. The prosecutor for these cases is called a solicitor.

Probation Violations

Often, individuals who have been convicted of crimes or pleading guilty will be granted probation in lieu of jail time. Probation, however, comes with many restrictions. Failure to follow these conditions could lead to a violation of probation.

Typically, probation officers will report violations to the judge and may also issue a warrant for your arrest. Your initial surrender hearing is where the judge will review the allegations against you and make a determination of probable cause.

During this hearing, the prosecution must prove that it is more likely than not that you committed the probation violation. The burden is less than at a trial and this makes an experienced attorney critical to your success in court. An attorney can help you acquire more time to prepare for the revocation hearing, speak to your probation officer and prosecutor, and negotiate a recommendation to the court.

Sex Crimes

Being accused of a sex crime like child molestation or statutory rape can be devastating to your reputation and professional standing. It can also harm your family life and cause revocation of your licenses. You must contact an experienced Marietta sex crimes attorney immediately.

Most sex offenses are considered felonies and can produce heavy fines, lengthy prison sentences and the requirement that you register on Georgia’s sex offender list. This punishment is far more severe than many other felony convictions, as it forces your photo and home address to be published in a publicly searchable database and exposes you to widespread social censure.

Whether you have been charged with Prostitution/Solicitation, Indecent exposure, Sexual assault or any other sex crime, a skilled Marietta sex crimes defense attorney can fight the allegations to get them dropped or dismissed.

Felonies

A felony conviction can ruin a person’s life by causing him or her to lose the right to vote, own a firearm or hold public office. This is why it’s so important to get a skilled Marietta criminal defense lawyer on your side as soon as possible.

The State Court of Georgia can only process misdemeanor cases, but the Superior Court of Cobb County handles all felony matters like thefts, assault, domestic violence and drug crimes. Judges can order jail time for felony offenders in addition to fines and other penalties.

Some crimes can be either misdemeanors or felonies depending on the circumstances of a case and the attitude of prosecutors. For example, DUIs are normally charged as misdemeanors, but a third or fourth DUI offense within 10 years is treated as a felony.

Misdemeanors

Misdemeanors are offenses that violate a state’s criminal law and carry less serious punishments. They may include a combination of jail time, which is generally served in the county and not a state prison facility, and criminal fines.

A knowledgeable and experienced Marietta criminal defense attorney can help to lower the level of the crime or have the charge dismissed altogether. This is because many prosecutors overcharge crimes by making them more serious than they should be.

Some of the most common misdemeanors are for marijuana possession, shoplifting and parking and zoning violations. A conviction on these charges will negatively impact a person’s life and can make it difficult to find work. If you are facing misdemeanors, then your lawyer can help to get the records expunged from your record so that you can move forward with your life.

Juvenile Crimes

The law takes juvenile crimes very seriously in Georgia. A child may be charged with misdemeanors and felonies, depending on the severity of the offense. Parents and children should work with an experienced Cobb County criminal defense lawyer to fight any allegations of crime at this stage in their lives.

A skilled juvenile crime attorney will help protect your child’s rights as well as their future, even if they do have a criminal record. A good attorney will understand the differences between the juvenile system and adult criminal prosecution, and advocate for counseling and community service rather than punishment that lands on their permanent record.

In some serious cases, prosecutors will petition the court to have your child tried as an adult in Superior Court. These cases are very rare and typically occur when a teenager commits an act that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult.