Cruelty to Children in Clayton County

By: Attorney Erin Dohnalek

In Georgia, the offense of cruelty to children is broken down into three different degrees, depending on the severity of the alleged abuse. Because of the consequences of such a serious crime, it is vitally important to understand the offense, as well as your individual rights when dealing with such allegations.

According to O.C.G.A. § 16-5-70, first-degree cruelty to children occurs when a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a child, under the age of eighteen, willfully deprives the child of necessaries to the extent that the child’s well-being is jeopardized. Additionally, conduct in which such person causes a minor child cruel or excessive physical or mental pain is considered first-degree child cruelty.

Second-degree cruelty to children occurs when a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a child, with criminal negligence, causes a child, under the age of eighteen, cruel or excessive physical or mental pain. Additionally, third-degree cruelty to children occurs when a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a minor child acts in one of the following ways:

  • Such person acts as the primary aggressor and intentionally allows a minor child to witness the commission of a forcible felony, battery, or family violence battery; or
  • Such person, who is acting as the primary aggressor, knows that the minor child is present or knows that the child can either hear or see the act, commits the act of forcible felony, battery, or family violence battery.

Penalties

The penalty for a conviction of first-degree cruelty to children in Clayton County, Georgia is a prison sentence between 5-20 years. For second-degree cruelty to children, the prison term is anywhere between 1-10 years. Alternatively, if a person is convicted of third-degree cruelty to children, he/she may be sentenced to a misdemeanor penalty, depending on his/her past criminal history. If the person has never been convicted of third-degree cruelty to children or has only been convicted once in the past, he/she may be sentenced to a misdemeanor penalty. However, if such person has been convicted in the past more than twice for the same offense then he/she will be sentenced to a felony prison term between 1-3 years and/or a fine of no less than $1,000, but no more than $5,000.

Defenses

Due to the severity of the punishment, as well as the collateral consequences for a charge of cruelty to children, it is vitally important to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to defend you against such allegations and who also understands all the possible defenses to such a charge. Some defenses to cruelty to children include, but are not limited to:

  • Accident, if it did not result from the person’s recklessness or criminal negligence;
  • Parent’s right to discipline, if reasonable; and
  • Actual innocence or false allegations.

At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, our lawyers are trained to know all affirmative defenses for the offense of cruelty to children, as well as all possible options for an accused dealing with such a serious charge.  Therefore, if you or a loved one has been arrested for cruelty to children in Clayton County, please call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Enticing A Child for Indecent Purposes

Enticing a child for indecent purposes is a serious crime in the State of Georgia. It is imperative that you retain a qualified attorney immediately if you are being accused of Enticing a child for an indecent act. Many allegations of enticing a child are false. Even if you know the allegation of enticing a child against you is made up, you still must take it very seriously and aggressively defend yourself.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 defines Enticing a Child for indecent purposes as follows:

A person commits the offense of enticing a child for indecent purposes when he or she solicits, entices, or takes any child under the age of 16 years to any place whatsoever for the purpose of child molestation or indecent acts.

The State must prove a joint operation of (1) the act of enticing a child and (2) the intention to commit acts of indecency or child molestation.

Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes is different than Child Molestation because of the extra element of asportation. The asportation element is satisfied with the taking involving physical force, enticement or persuasion. The evidence must show some movement of the child. It can be slight movement.

Indecent Acts means illicit sexual conduct. Because the statute refers to both indecent acts and child molestation, it is reasonable to assume that indecent acts are different than acts punished by the child molestation statute.

Neither consent nor lack of knowledge of the child’s age is a defense to prosecution under the Enticing a Child statute.

The statute is intended to protect children from sexual predators. It is unlawful to entice any child under the age of 16.

The punishment for Enticing A Child is a mandatory of 10 years imprisonment up to 30 years and at least 1 year of probation.

Do not wait until the State actually returns an indictment against you for Enticing a Child before seeking an attorney. It is vital that you immediately retain an attorney and get to work in defending yourself of these allegations.

I would be happy to meet with you any time for a free consultation to discuss your case, your rights and your defenses to these allegations.

Call me at 404-581-0999 and let’s schedule a time to meet and discuss your case.

It is your life, your criminal record and you deserve the best representation possible.

Home Invasion – Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney

Home Invasion – Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney

Home invasion is a serious felony crime in Georgia. Home invasion is either in the first degree, or in the second degree and can be found at O.C.G.A. § 16-7-5.

 

Home Invasion in the First Degree

A person commits the offense of home invasion in the first degree when, without authority and with intent to commit a forcible felony while in possession of a deadly weapon, he or she enters the home of another while such house is occupied by a person with authority to be there. For example, entering someone’s home while it is occupied by another with the intent to commit an armed robbery, an aggravated assault, or a rape would be considered home invasion in the first degree.

What is the punishment for Home Invasion in the First Degree?

It is a felony offense, with the maximum punishment being life in prison with a fine of up to $100,000. The State of Georgia prosecutes Home Invasion cases harshly. The law, however, does allow the Judge to impose a sentence of probation.

Home Invasion in the Second Degree

A person commits the offense of home invasion in the second degree when, without authority and with intent to commit a forcible misdemeanor, and while in possession of a deadly weapon, he or she enters the home of another while such home is occupied by any person with authority to be present therein. For example, home invasion in the second degree could occur if someone were to enter into someone else’s home, while being in possession of a tool capable of serious bodily injury, with the intent to commit a simple assault (a misdemeanor).

 

What is the punishment for Home Invasion in the Second Degree in Georgia?

Home invasion in the second degree is also a felony offense, with imprisonment for 5-20 years and a fine of up to $100,000. Probation, again, is allowed under the law.

 

Defenses to Home Invasion

A skilled criminal defense attorney can raise numerous defenses to Home Invasion cases in Georgia. If the State is unable to prove you were at the location beyond a reasonable doubt, then you will be acquitted. Additionally, it is required that the person to possess a deadly weapon at the time of the unlawful entry. The State will not be able to prove its case if there was no weapon at the time of entry, or even if the weapon was acquired while inside the home.

Can you get a bond if you are arrested for a Home Invasion?

The short answer is: yes, but not necessarily at the First Appearance. If you have been arrested for Home Invasion in Georgia, the first court appearance will be the First Appearance hearing. This takes place within 48 hours if the arrest was made without a warrant, and within 72 hours if the arrest was made with a warrant.

At the First Appearance, the Judge will inform the accused of the charges and their right to remain silent and to a lawyer. It is at this Court appearance where the Judge can set bail in most instances. However, Home Invasion in the First Degree is a Superior Court-only bond. This means that the bond may only be heard before a Judge of the Superior Court. First Appearance, however, is often heard by a Magistrate Judge, without authority to hear or set bond on a Home Invasion in the First Degree case. Thus, no bond can be given in this scenario. This is not the case with Home Invasion in the Second Degree. Any Judge may set bail at the First Appearance if it is Home Invasion in the Second Degree.

 

If you or a loved one has been arrested for Home Invasion, contact the trial lawyers at W. Scott Smith PC for a FREE CONSULTATION at 404-581-0999.

Child Molestation in Fayette County

Child Molestation is a serious crime in the State of Georgia. If you are arrested in Fayette County for child molestation, please do not make any statements to the police. It is imperative that you retain a qualified attorney immediately if you are being accused of child molestation. The Fayette County District Attorney’s Office has a unit called the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit and they zealously prosecute these cases and they are very prepared. Many allegations of child molestation are false. Even if you know the allegation of child molestation against you is made up, you still must take it very seriously and aggressively defend yourself.

If you are arrested, you will be on a calendar the next day for First Appearance. At this hearing, the Fayette County Magistrate Judge will read the warrants to you. They then might consider bond depending on the allegations but will likely deny bond in a child molestation. You will then need to file a motion for a formal bond hearing and a preliminary hearing. These hearings take place at the Fayette County courthouse on the 2nd floor. It is crucial to get an attorney retained to be at the First Appearance hearing at the Clayton County courthouse.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4 defines child molestation as follows:

A person commits the offense of child molestation when such person: Does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the accused OR by means of electronic device, transmits images of a person engaging in, inducing, or otherwise participating in any immoral or indecent act to a child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person.

Child Molestation is a specific intent crime. Whether the accused has the requisite intent when he committed the act of child molestation is up to a jury. The jury can infer the requisite intent of “arousing or satisfying sexual desires” from the commission of the act. However, proof of the accused’s actual arousal is not required. Intent can be inferred from the testimony of the victim or from the actions of the accused.

No penetration is required for child molestation. All that is required is the touching of the child’s body along with the requisite intent. It does not matter whether the child was clothed or unclothed in determining whether the act was immoral or indecent.

The indictment does not have to allege the specific details of the child molestation. It can use general language of the statute.

The punishment for child molestation is a mandatory of 5 years to 20 years in prison. If it a second conviction for child molestation then it can be life in prison or a mandatory 10 years up to 30 years in prison.

If someone is making an allegation of child molestation against you in Fayette County, it is imperative that you do not talk to the police, do not talk to the person who is accusing you of child molestation and call us. Time is of the essence to properly investigate the allegations.

I would be happy to meet with you any time for a free consultation to discuss your case, your rights and your defenses to these allegations. Our office is in downtown Atlanta.

Call me at 404-581-0999 and let’s schedule a time to meet and discuss your case.

It is your life, your criminal record and you deserve the best representation possible.

Civil Asset Forfeiture- Rockdale Drug Cases

Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to confiscate property that they deem as having been used in criminal activity. Civil asset forfeiture does not require a conviction or criminal charges being taken out.

In Georgia, civil asset forfeiture is a legal process, and it allows the government to seize your property that they claim is connected to a crime or would likely be used to commit a crime, especially a crime involving a controlled substance. The most seized property includes cash, cars, cell phones, firearms, and real estate.

If the police have seized your property in a civil asset forfeiture, you must act fast so that you do not lose what the police has taken. It is important that you hire an experienced attorney as soon as possible because there is a limited amount of time to object to the forfeiture.

If you or someone you know has been arrested for a drug offense and has had their property seized in Rockdale County, having a lawyer fight your case can result in a better outcome. Contact the Law Office of Scott Smith today for a free consultation at 404-581-0999.

Driving with a Suspended License in Cobb County

In Georgia, driving with a suspended license can result in an arrest and conviction for a misdemeanor. If you are found guilty of driving on a suspended license you will face no less than two days in jail and a fine of $500 to $1000. You could also be placed on probation. Pleading guilty to driving on a suspended license will also result in a new suspension of your Georgia driver license for six months. You can avoid a new suspension by pleading nolo contendre (no contest), but this option is only available once every five years.

A second or third conviction of driving on a suspended license in a five-year period will result in no less than 10 days jail and a fine of $1,000 to $2,500. You can also face additional penalties such as probation. A fourth conviction in a five-year period will be considered a felony and is punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison as well as fines and probation. If you are arrested or cited for driving with a suspended license, having a lawyer fight your case can result in a better outcome. Call us at (404) 581-0999 for a free consultation.

I was arrested without a warrant, and they did not bring me to court in Henry County, what do I do?

If you have been arrested, booked into the County Jail, and there is no warrant, you must be brought before a Judge within 48 hours. If you are not brought before a judge within 48 hours, you must be released from custody. 

Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62, it requires the arresting person (typically the police officer) to “without delay, convey the offender before the most convenient judicial officer authorized to receive an affidavit and issue a warrant as provided for in Code Section 17-4-40.” Further, “[n]o such imprisonment shall be legal beyond a reasonable time allowed for this purpose; and any person who is not brought before such judicial officer within 48 hours of arrest shall be released.” Riverside v. McLaughlin, 500 U.S.  44, 57 (1991). 

If you or someone you know has been arrested in Henry County for a charge without a warrant, and they have not been brought before a judge, having a lawyer fight your case can result in a better outcome. Contact the Law Office of Scott Smith today for a free consultation at 404-581-0999.

What do you do if you are arrested for child molestation in Georgia?

If you or a loved one is arrested for child molestation in Georgia, it is important that you act immediately to protect yourself. Do not wait until your court date to get an attorney and to preserve evidence.

Do not think that just because you are innocent that the charges will be dismissed. Child molestation charges are aggressively prosecuted in Georgia and prosecutors and the police believe children who make the accusations.

The law may say you are presumed innocent but in child molestation cases, you have to prove your innocence.

Here is what you should do if arrested for child molestation:

  1. Hire an attorney – Make sure that attorney actually handles and tries child molestation cases. Most criminal defense attorneys do not handle child molestation cases. Make sure the attorney you talk to does regularly handles child molestation cases in Georgia.
  2. Avoid making any statements – Do not walk into the police department and profess your innocence. The police will not believe you. Do not think you can show up at your first court date and tell the prosecutor and judge that you are innocent and expect the charges to be dropped. If you are arrested for child molestation, you have to start preparing for your jury trial. Do not make any statements to anyone except your lawyer.
  3. Start gathering important evidence
    1. Gather and preserve any physical evidence in your possession that might relate to the child making the accusation. This includes clothing, photos, video or any other tangible object.
    2. Gather and preserve any documents that might relate to this accusation including emails, texts, social media, phone records, GPS records, computer records or any other document that might show where you were when this incident allegedly occurred.
    3. Witnesses – Immediately make a list of any person who you think might have information about this child molestation accusation. Do not discuss the case with this person but pass this list of potential witnesses to your attorney and let your attorney contact them.

Here is what you should never do if arrested for child molestation:

  1. Never talk to the alleged victim or the family.
  2. Never have any contact with the alleged victim through a 3rd party or through social media.
  3. Never talk to law enforcement without an attorney present.
  4. Never talk to a child welfare agency or any other governmental agency without an attorney present.

If you are arrested for child molestation, please call our office 24/7 at 404-581-0999 or send us an email at mike@peachstatelawyer.com. We will sit down with you and fully discuss your case and what to expect in court. There is no charge for the initial consultation. You will only retain us if you feel we are the best law firm to represent you. It is your case and your life so you need to hire the lawyer that you feel gives you the best chance to win.

Vehicular Homicide in Georgia

If you have been charged with vehicular homicide in Georgia and you were under the influence of prescription medication when you were driving you do have a unique defense available to you that many lawyers in Georgia will sometimes overlook.  For starters, Georgia law does not punish you for mistake or an accident.  Meaning, if you are prescribed prescription medicine and drive after you took prescription medication you may be excused in your conduct through excusable ignorance.  There are several factors the jury will consider, but in my experience, you have to meet several criteria to have a more robust defense.  First, you have to have taken the impairing drugs pursuant to a lawful prescription.  Second, you will need to be within therapeutic limits – meaning taking the drug as prescribed.  It doesn’t do good if you are prescribed 5 mg of a drug and you are taking three times the amount.  Third, your doctor or pharmacist failed to warn you not to drive after taking the medication.  Similarly, if your prescription bottle displays a warning of ‘do not drive under this prescription’ then you should not drive and your defense of accident or mistake is seriously weakened.  Fourth, it should be a newer prescription.  Why is this important?  It means you are unfamiliar with the reaction your body and/or mind has when having taken the prescription medicine.

As mentioned, once you have been charged with Vehicular Homicide in Georgia and you are taking a medication as prescribed and the jury believes you did so through not knowing any better you can be excused from the criminal act.  Yes, nobody likes excuses – especially a jury – but if you truly did not have the intent to become impaired or did not know the disruption on your mind of consuming a prescription medicine, Georgia law protects you.  It is important to understand the difference between justification and excuse.  Justification means you intended the act and consequences that stem from the act but you were justified.  An example may be self-defense where you shot and killed someone trying to kill you.  Excuse is where your conduct is not justified, but in the Georgia legislature’s estimation your actions are excusable because of what failed to transpire in your mind.  A top level highly experienced Georgia criminal defense lawyer can explain this to a jury.

Georgia Criminal Street Gang Act – Fulton County

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said last month that Fulton County has a “gang problem” and that her office is committed to prosecuting gang members to combat violent crime. DA Willis went on to say that there are at least 50,000 active gang members in the metro Atlanta area.

So if the Fulton County District Attorney’s office charges you with being in a criminal street gang and returns an indictment against you, here are the elements that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the Fulton County District Attorney.

  1. You are associated either directly or indirectly with a group.

It is not enough to say you are just associated with a group. The Georgia Criminal Street Gang statute does not criminalize membership with a group. It must be proven in court that you actively participated in criminal street gang activity through the commission of an actual criminal act.

  1. The group itself has to be a criminal street gang.

This means that three or more people have organized themselves to engage in criminal activity. This can be proven with a common name, signs, symbols, graffiti, clothing or other distinguishing items.

  1. The defendant committed a criminal street gang activity.

The Fulton District Attorney must prove that you committed, attempted to commit, conspired to commit or intimidated another person to commit any offense in O.C.G.A. 16-15-3.

  1. This act was in furtherance of the criminal street gang.

There must be some link between your specific act and the intent to further the interest of your gang. The Fulton County District Attorney must prove that you had the specific intent to further the interest of your gang.

It is vital that if you are arrested under the gang statute in Fulton County, that you do not make any statements to the police. Hire an attorney immediately. The Fulton County District Attorney’s office is zealously prosecuting gang cases and has an entire unit dedicated to prosecuting gang cases. You must take your case seriously and challenge every aspect of the State’s case.

Also, remember that all phone calls in the Fulton County jail are being recorded. Do not profess your innocence on a recorded phone line.

Give us a call at 404-581-0999. We are located just a few blocks from the Fulton County Courthouse at 100 Peachtree Street, Suite 2060, Atlanta, GA 30303.