Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Georgia

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Georgia law provides certain protections for people who are mentally ill and charged with crimes. O.C.G.A. § 16-3-2 says that a person charged with a crime can be found not guilty by reason of insanity if, at the time of the crime, the person did not have the mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. Georgia case law clarifies that this does not mean that any mental illness or psychosis will allow a person to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, but only if the defendant is suffering from a delusion that overpowered their will to resist committing the crime. Additionally, the act the defendant committed must have been justified under Georgia law if the delusion the defendant was suffering from was true.

What does this mean?  Let’s say that a person was suffering from a delusion that their neighbor was trying to kill them. If the neighbor really were trying to kill them, the person would be justified under Georgia law in defending themselves. So, if the person who believed the neighbor was trying to kill them attacked the neighbor, they could be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

This is a distinct issue from whether an individual is competent to stand trial. In order to be found competent to stand trial a person must understand the proceedings going on against him and be capable of helping their attorney prepare their defense. In short, a person could be found competent to stand trial but still found not guilty by reason of insanity.

If you or a loved one are charged with a serious crime like murder or aggravated assault and believe you were suffering from a delusional compulsion at the time of the crime, it is crucial that you hire an experienced attorney to protect you. Not guilty by reason of insanity defenses are tricky but the lawyers at W. Scott Smith are dedicated to helping our clients navigate the justice system so that they can get the help they need. If you are charged in Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Henry, Dekalb, Clayton, Cobb, or Newton County and have questions about pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, call our office today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

A Recent Georgia Supreme Court Decision on Withdrawing Guilty Pleas

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A Georgia Supreme Court case that was recently decided sheds light on what circumstances would allow a guilty plea to be withdrawn and highlights the importance of hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer early in the process of defending yourself against serious criminal charges.

In Moody v. State, decided on May 16, 2023, the Georgia Supreme Court explains when and why a defendant may choose to withdraw their guilty plea. In Moody, Jeremy Moody was charged with the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl and the murder of her friend in Fulton County. The crimes occurred on April 5, 2007, Moody was indicted on April 20, 2007, and the State filed written notice that they were seeking the death penalty on May 1, 2007. Moody’s trial began on April 10, 2013, but Moody pleaded guilty to all charges shortly after trial began. The sentencing phase of Moody’s trial began on April 15 and, before a sentence was pronounced, Moody announced that he wished to withdraw his guilty plea.

In normal cases, according to O.C.G.A. § 17-7-93 (b), a defendant may withdraw their guilty plea at any time up until their sentence is pronounced. But, in cases where the State is seeking the death penalty, a defendant may only withdraw their guilty plea “to prevent a manifest injustice.” Browner v. State, 257 Ga. 321 (1987). In this case, Moody argues that his plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered and that this creates a manifest injustice. The Court found that Moody was 35 years old, had completed his G.E.D., and was not under the influence at the time of his plea. Moody also told the judge that he understood what the plea meant and that he had sufficient time to discuss the plea with his lawyer. The Court found that Moody was not coerced into pleading guilty and that he was not doing so for any reason other than because it was what he wanted to do.

This case highlights why it is important to be represented by an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Although you may withdraw a guilty plea at any time before the sentence is pronounced in cases in which the State is not seeking the death penalty, it is very difficult to withdraw a plea after you have been sentenced by the court. The lawyers at W. Scott Smith are experienced in pre-trial negotiations and will work alongside you to determine if a plea bargain is in your best interest. If you desire a trial, the lawyers at W. Scott Smith will guarantee that you get your day in court. Call our office at 404-581-0999 today for a free consultation.

Using the Alibi Defense in Georgia

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An alibi is a defense to criminal charges in Georgia where the defendant says that they weren’t at the scene when the crime occurred.

According to Georgia law, as codified in O.C.G.A. § 16-3-40, an alibi defense involves the impossibility that the person accused of a crime was at the scene of the offense when it was committed. The evidence presented must reasonably exclude the possibility that the defendant was present. IN other words, an alibi is evidence that the defendant was somewhere else when the crime was committed. The defendant doesn’t only have to show that he was somewhere else when the crime was committed but that it was reasonably impossible that he was at the scene of the crime.

For example, if you are charged with murder in Dekalb County, but you are on surveillance video over an hour away in Cherokee County at the time of the murder, you have a valid alibi defense. Additional evidence, such as receipts from establishments in Cherokee County, or people to testify that you were with them in Cherokee County at the time of the murder will strengthen your alibi defense and create the reasonable impossibility that you were at the scene of the murder as required by Georgia law. It is important to hire an experienced attorney right away to help you gather and preserve the evidence you need for this defense.

In Georgia, defendants are required to provide prosecutors notice of their intention to present an alibi defense. However, this notice has several restrictions, as spelled out in O.C.G.A. § 17-16-5. First, the prosecutor must ask for the notice within 10 days of arraignment (or at such time as the court permits). Then, the defendant must provide written notice to the prosecutor within 10 days of the prosecutor’s demand or 10 days before trial, whichever is later. Along with the notice, the defendant must also provide the specific place where they claim to have been during the commission of the crime, and the identity of the witnesses the defendant will present to establish the alibi. In return, the prosecutor must provide the identity of witnesses they will use to rebut the alibi within 5 days of the defendant’s notice or 5 days before trial.

As you can see, the rules surrounding an alibi defense are complex. It is extremely important to have an experienced attorney by your side to help navigate the rules and preserve your right to present an alibi defense. The attorneys at W. Scott Smith possess a wealth of experience defending serious crimes like rape, murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, all of which may be defeated with an alibi defense. If you have been charged with one of these serious crimes in Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton, Dekalb, Clayton, or Henry County, call our office at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Bestiality and Necrophilia

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Bestiality is a serious crime in the State of Georgia.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-6:  A person commits the offense of bestiality when he performs or submits to any sexual act with an animal involving the sex organs of the one and the mouth, anus, penis or vagina of the other.

A person convicted of bestiality shall be punished by imprisonment not less than 1 nor more than 5 years.

Necrophilia is a serious crime in Georgia.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-7: A person commits the offense of necrophilia when he performs any sexual act with a dead human body involving the sex organs of the one and the mouth, anus, penis or vagina of the other.

A person convicted of necrophilia is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 1 nor more than 10 years.

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.

Polygraph Evidence in Georgia

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Polygraph tests can be a powerful tool in criminal defense. The tests are widely accessible, portable, relatively inexpensive, painless, and simple to administer. However, it is important to understand how polygraphs can be used in court before deciding if a polygraph would be helpful to your case.

In Georgia, polygraph results are only admissible if both parties agree before the test is administered that the results can be used in court regardless of what they results show. This rule comes from the Georgia Supreme Court case State v. Chambers, which was decided in 1977.   That means that your attorney and the prosecutor will have to agree to who administers the test, what questions are on the test, when and where the test is given, and that the results will be admissible during your trial before you take the test. If there is no agreement, the test results cannot be used.

However, the State cannot use your refusal to consent to a polygraph test against you. In Brown v. State, a 1985 Georgia Court of Appeals case, the court reiterated that only the results are admissible, not the fact that a defendant refused to take a polygraph. It is also important to note that a defendant does not have to be represented by counsel at the time they agree to have the results of a polygraph test admitted in court.

Finally, the admission of polygraph evidence is governed by the Georgia Rules of Evidence in that the test must be administered in a reliable manner and the person testifying about the results (the polygraph examiner) must be qualified as an expert.

If you are charged with a serious crime, it is important to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer before agreeing to take a polygraph test because once you agree, the results will be admitted in your trial regardless of what the results say. The lawyers at W. Scott Smith are experienced in representing clients charged with murder, rape, child molestation, drug offenses, gang crimes and aggravated assault, and know how to leverage polygraph evidence to benefit our clients. If you are facing criminal charges in Gwinnett, Fulton, Cobb, Douglas, Forsyth, Dekalb, Clayton, or Fayette County, call our office at 404-581-0999 today for a free consultation.

Sexual Battery

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A person commits the offense of sexual battery when he intentionally makes physical contact with the intimate parts of the body of another person without the consent of that person.

How does the law define intimate parts? It is defined as the primary genital area, anus, groin, inner thighs, or buttocks of a male or female and the breasts of a female.

The intent to do the act is a question of fact for the jury to decide.

Whether there is a conflict in the evidence of whether the victim voluntarily submitted to the contact, it is for a jury to decide that conflict in testimony.

Sexual battery does not require any sexual contact. It only requires the non-consensual, intentional physical contact with the victims’ intimate body parts.

Prior to 2021, an individual younger than 16 years old was legally incapable of consenting to sexual contact. In the case of Watson v. State, the Supreme Court construed the statute to require actual proof of the victim’s lack of consent, regardless of the victim’s age.

Sexual battery is punished as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. However, if the victim is under 16 years of age, it is punishable as a felony.

The rule of lenity does not apply between sexual battery and child molestation because child molestation requires additional proof of the defendant seeking to arouse his own sexual desires, which is not required for sexual battery. Furthermore, sexual battery requires proof of physical contact and the victims lack of consent, which are not required for the offense of child molestation.

Felony Murder

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If an individual dies during the commission of a dangerous felony the aggressor can be charged with felony murder even if there was no intent to cause a death. For example, if person X fights person V with no intention of ending V’s life but V ends up dying from his injuries. X will likely be charged with aggravated battery for the beating and felony murder based on the aggravated battery because V died from the injuries he sustained during the felony of aggravated battery by X.

If you or a loved one has been charged with felony murder it is important to reach out to a qualified criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. The penalty for felony murder is the SAME as a murder committed with the intent to kill. It carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison, with or without parole. In Georgia, 30 years of the life sentence must be served before you are eligible for parole. Give us a call at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Marijuana Offenses in Georgia

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There are several ways the State can charge you with marijuana offenses in Georgia:

  • Possession of Less Than an Ounce– If you are arrested with less than an ounce of marijuana, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. The penalty includes up to a $1,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail.
  • Possession of More Than an Ounce– If you are arrested with more than an ounce of marijuana, you will be charged with a felony. The penalty is 1-10 years and a fine.
  • Possession With Intent to Distribute– If you are arrested with marijuana and the State can prove that you intended to distribute the marijuana, they can charge you with possession with intent to distribute. The intent part of the charge requires proof by the State, but they can prove you intended to distribute the marijuana by bringing in witnesses to testify or with other evidence such as scales or packaging material. If you are found guilty of possession with intent to distribute, the first offense carries a possible prison sentence of 1-10 years. A second or subsequent offense carries a mandatory 10 years in prison and up to 40 years.
  • Trafficking Marijuana– If you are arrested with more than 10 pounds of marijuana, you will be charged with trafficking marijuana. The State only has to prove that you knowingly possessed the marijuana, not that you knew the weight of the marijuana. If the weight of the drug is 10-2,000 pounds, the penalty is 5 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. If the weight of the drug is 2,000-10,000 pounds, the penalty is 7 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If the weight is more than 10,000 pounds, the penalty is 15 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

If you are charged with a marijuana offense, it is important to hire an experienced attorney to help defend you. First, it is important that the search that resulted in the drugs being found did not violate your constitutional rights. Next, the lawyers at W. Scott Smith will explore your possible defenses, such as lack of intent or lack of knowledge. The lawyers at W. Scott Smith have years of experience defending marijuana offenses. If you are charged in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, Dekalb, Cherokee, Fayette, or Barrow County, call our office at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Conditional Discharge

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Conditional Discharge or Drug First Offender is a once in a lifetime opportunity that allows someone who has been charged for the first time with possessing drugs or a non-violent property crime related to drug or alcohol addiction to resolve their case without a felony conviction. The resolution will typically involve probation and some sort of rehabilitation and treatment. Once the terms of the sentence are completed successfully the case will be dismissed and will not be considered a conviction. If you or a loved one has been charged with a drug offense you need to speak with an experience attorney to determine if you could be eligible for conditional discharged. Please give us a call at 404-581-0998 for a free case consultation.

First Offender

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If you have been charged with a felony offense (with some exceptions) and have never pleaded guilty to or been convicted of a felony, you may be eligible for First Offender treatment under OCGA § 42-8-60. Charges that are considered serious violent felonies, e.g. murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, etc and sexual offenses are not eligible for First Offender treatment.

First Offender allows you to enter a plea to the offense, but it is not considered a conviction. If you successfully complete all the terms of the sentence, the case will be discharged and you will be exonerated as a matter of law. This means that you can honestly say that you have not been convicted of a felony and all of your civil rights are restored.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and if you or a loved one has been charged with a felony offense and you think you might be eligible for First Offender, please give us a call at 404-581-0999.