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Enticing A Child for Indecent Purposes in Paulding County

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Enticing a child for indecent purposes is a serious crime in Paulding County. 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. The Paulding County District Attorney’s office has a unit dedicated to prosecuting sex crimes.

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 Paulding County District Attorney 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.

The Paulding County District Attorney’s office vigorously prosecutes these cases.

Do not wait until the Paulding County District Attorney 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.

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

Sodomy in Fulton County

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Sodomy is a serious crime in Fulton County.  O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2 established two separate criminal offenses. O.C.G.A.  §16-6-2(a)(1) defines sodomy as the performance of or submission to a sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another. O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2(a)(2) defines aggravated sodomy  as the commission of sodomy with force and against the will of the other person involved or with a person who is less than ten years of age.

The offense of aggravated sodomy protects individuals from violent acts where the offense of sodomy punishes consensual sexual behavior.

For sodomy, all that is required is contact between the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another person. Proof of penetration is not required in a sodomy case unless is specifically listed in the indictment. Whether there was prohibited contact between the defendant and alleged victim is solely a question for a jury.

No corroboration is required in a sodomy case.

Aggravated Sodomy is different than Sodomy. In order to make out a case for Aggravated Sodomy, the State must show that the contact was made both with force and against the will or without the consent of the alleged victim. The standard of proof is the same as required for a rape case. Both the words and actions of the accused can be used to determine if the alleged victim was in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-15 prohibits the solicitation of sodomy. Solicitation of sodomy is defined as soliciting another individual to perform to a sexual act involving the sex organs of one and the mouth or anus of another and such act is to be performed in public in exchange for money or anything of value or by force or by or with an individual who is incapable of giving legal consent to sexual activity. In order to be convicted of solicitation of sodomy, the State must be present sufficient evidence of all three elements of the crime.

If you are convicted of sodomy, it is a felony punishable by not less than one nor more than twenty years in prison and is subject to the sentencing provisions of § 17-10-6.2 which requires the sexual offender to receive a split sentence including the minimum sentence of imprisonment.

Aggravated Sodomy is also a felony and is punishable by either life imprisonment or by a split sentence of imprisonment for not less than 25 years and probation for life.

Solicitation of sodomy is a misdemeanor. However if the solicitation is of someone under 18 years of age or the solicitation is for money then it is felony punishable of not less than 5 nor more than 20 years in prison.

If the victim is at least 13 years old but less than 16 years of age and the person convicted of sodomy is 18 years of age or younger and is no more than 4 years older than the victim, then the accused would be guilty of a misdemeanor and would not be subject to the sentencing provision of O.C.G.A. §17-10-6.2.

If you are arrested in Fulton County for sodomy or aggravated sodomy, you will be in the Fulton County jail at 901 Rice Street. You will be on the first appearance calendar the next morning at the Fulton County jail at 11:30am. After that date, you will be a preliminary hearing in Fulton County Magistrate Court.

Once your case is indicted, it will be transferred to Fulton County Superior Court for trial.

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.

Can I claim self-defense?

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In Georgia, pursuant to O.C.G.A § 16-3-21, a person is justified in using force to defend themselves or others when a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to defend themselves or a third person against another person’s imminent use of unlawful force. This means that a person in Georgia may be justified in an action that would otherwise be a crime if they can make out a case to the court that they were defending themselves or another person.

If you believe that you were justified in using force and find yourself charged with a serious felony like aggravated assault, manslaughter, or murder, your attorney will petition the court for an immunity hearing, asking the court to find you immune from prosecution. At this hearing the defendant carried the burden to show the court, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they were justified in their actions because they reasonably believed that they were at risk of receiving a serious or life threatening injury if they did not act.

In order to make this showing to the court the defendant mut show several things:

  • The defendant was not the initial aggressor. If you were the initial aggressor in an argument, meaning that you started a fight or an altercation, you are not permitted to claim self-defense.
  • The defendant was not engaged in mutual combat with the victim. If you and the victim agreed (by words or actions) to engage in a fight, you are not permitted to claim self-defense. However, if you remove yourself from the fight, and communicate this to the other person, and then the other person comes after you, you may now be entitled to claim self-defense.
  • The force used by the defendant was not unreasonable. The amount of force used to defend yourself must be reasonable based upon the amount of force used against you. For example, if someone says “I’m going to slap you” it is not reasonable to shoot them.

If you can show the judge that you were in fact justified in defending yourself, the case will be dropped and you will be immune from prosecution. It is very important that you have a lawyer representing you who can help you make out your case to the court. At the Law Offices of W. Scott Smith, we have handled immunity motions like this is Fulton, Cobb, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Newton, Forsyth, and many other counties. Call us today at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Enticing A Child for Indecent Purposes in Fulton County

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Enticing a child for indecent purposes is a serious crime in Fulton County. 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. The Fulton County District Attorney’s office has a unit dedicated to prosecuting sex crimes.

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 Fulton County District Attorney 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.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s office vigorously prosecutes these cases.

Do not wait until the Fulton County District Attorney 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.

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

Public Indecency in Fulton County

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Public Indecency is a serious crime in Georgia. It is imperative that you retain a qualified attorney immediately if you have been charged with public indecency.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-8(a) defines public indecency as follows:

A person commits the offense of public indecency when he or she performs any of the following acts in a public place:

  1. An act of sexual intercourse
  2. A lewd exposure of the sexual organs
  3. A lewd exposure in a state of partial or complete nudity; or
  4. A lewd caress or indecent fondling of the body of another person.

A public place means any place where the conduct involved may be reasonably be expected to be viewed by people other than members of the accused’s family or household.

Under O.C.G.A. 16-1-3(15), a public place is any place where the conduct involved may reasonably be expected to be viewed by someone other than immediately family members. In fact, the residence of the accused may be considered a public place if the person performs the lewd act in front of a window or someplace where he intends the public to see it.

Lewd has been defined as any gross indecency so notorious as to tend to corrupt community morals. The act is one in which it represents a moving away from some form of community morality norms towards amorality, immorality or obscenity which in the final analysis within community standards as to particular acts, as to acceptability or unacceptability, is best left to a jury for determination. The statute does not require that some person be embarrassed, offended or otherwise outraged by the lewd act.

The intent of the accused is relevant in a prosecution for public indecency.

The offense of public indecency is not a crime against the person. The person viewing the lewd act is a witness and not a victim of the crime.

The United States Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of expression does not prevent the State of Georgia from enforcing its public indecency laws.

The punishment for public indecency is up to 1 year in prison. If it is a 3rd or subsequent violation, then the punishment is 1 to 5 years imprisonment. Also, the accused may be required to register as a sex offender under O.C.G.A. §42-1-12.

It is imperative that you do not talk to the police if you are accused of public indecency. Only speak to a qualified attorney so that you can properly defend yourself.

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.

Using Cell Phone Data in Defense of Murder in Fulton, Dekalb, and Clayton Counties

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Cell phone data is becoming more and more popular as a tool that the State uses to try to place a defendant at the scene of a murder in Fulton, Dekalb, and Clayton Counties. The State often applies for, and is given, a search warrant for a suspect’s cell phone and performs a data dump of the phone to acquire all of the location data associated with calls and text messages around a given time. Fortunately, it is also a valuable tool that defense attorneys can use to prove that a defendant was not at the scene of a murder.

Utilizing cell phone data efficiently requires a basic understanding of how location data works. Each time a call or text message is sent or received, the phone pings off the nearest tower. Each tower is then divided into 3 sectors, or azimuths, comprising 120 degrees. Each azimuth then projects a “cone”, and the cone determines which direction the phone is (or is not) located. Thus, although the State will try to convince a jury that they can pinpoint the exact location of a defendant’s call phone, they can only show that the phone was located within one of the 120-degree cones and not at a specific location.

Cell phone data is more appropriately used by a defense attorney to prove that a defendant’s cell phone was not located at or near the scene of a murder. For example, if a murder occurred in the 120-degree cone of a certain cell tower pointing northwest, but the defendant’s cell phone is pinging off the cone pointing southeast from the same tower, the defendant’s phone may be excluded from being near the scene of the murder (if there were call or text messages being sent or received at or near the time of the murder).

The State will likely call an expert witness to present the cell phone data and try to place a defendant at the scene of a murder or other serious crime. Having an attorney that is familiar with how cell phone data works is important because they can cross-examine the witness and show why their analysis is incorrect. The defense attorney may then call an expert of their own to teach the jury about how to use cell phone data to show that the defendant’s cell phone was, in fact, not present at the scene.

The attorneys at W. Scott Smith have a proven track record of using cell phone data to exonerate their clients. If you are charged with a serious crime in Fulton, Dekalb, or Clayton Counties and feel that your cell phone data would show that you were not near the scene of the crime, call our office at 404-581-0999 for a free consultation.

Sodomy

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Sodomy is a serious crime in Georgia. O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2 established two separate criminal offenses. O.C.G.A.  §16-6-2(a)(1) defines sodomy as the performance of or submission to a sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another. O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2(a)(2) defines aggravated sodomy  as the commission of sodomy with force and against the will of the other person involved or with a person who is less than ten years of age.

The offense of aggravated sodomy protects individuals from violent acts where the offense of sodomy punishes consensual sexual behavior.

For sodomy, all that is required is contact between the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another person. Proof of penetration is not required in a sodomy case unless is specifically listed in the indictment. Whether there was prohibited contact between the defendant and alleged victim is solely a question for a jury.

No corroboration is required in a sodomy case.

Aggravated Sodomy is different than Sodomy. In order to make out a case for Aggravated Sodomy, the State must show that the contact was made both with force and against the will or without the consent of the alleged victim. The standard of proof is the same as required for a rape case. Both the words and actions of the accused can be used to determine if the alleged victim was in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm.

O.C.G.A. § 16-6-15 prohibits the solicitation of sodomy. Solicitation of sodomy is defined as soliciting another individual to perform to a sexual act involving the sex organs of one and the mouth or anus of another and such act is to be performed in public in exchange for money or anything of value or by force or by or with an individual who is incapable of giving legal consent to sexual activity. In order to be convicted of solicitation of sodomy, the State must be present sufficient evidence of all three elements of the crime.

If you are convicted of sodomy, it is a felony punishable by not less than one nor more than twenty years in prison and is subject to the sentencing provisions of § 17-10-6.2 which requires the sexual offender to receive a split sentence including the minimum sentence of imprisonment.

Aggravated Sodomy is also a felony and is punishable by either life imprisonment or by a split sentence of imprisonment for not less than 25 years and probation for life.

Solicitation of sodomy is a misdemeanor. However if the solicitation is of someone under 18 years of age or the solicitation is for money then it is felony punishable of not less than 5 nor more than 20 years in prison.

If the victim is at least 13 years old but less than 16 years of age and the person convicted of sodomy is 18 years of age or younger and is no more than 4 years older than the victim, then the accused would be guilty of a misdemeanor and would not be subject to the sentencing provision of O.C.G.A. §17-10-6.2.

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.

Georgia DUI Law: Challenging the Stop, Speeding

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Georgia DUI investigations usually begin with a routine traffic stop. At a minimum, in order to stop you and your vehicle, the stopping officer needs to have “reasonable and articulable suspicion” to believe a crime has, or is about to be committed. An officer normally satisfies this requirement by observing a traffic or equipment violation. However, if it is determined the officer did NOT have reasonable and articulable suspicion to stop your vehicle; this could result in the suppression of evidence and the ultimate dismissal of a DUI charge.

Therefore, it is crucial to examine the most common types of traffic violations that result in a DUI investigation. This article serves to inform you of the nature, methods of proof, penalties, and challenges to a speeding offense in Georgia.

The Offense

Speeding is one of the most common traffic offenses associated with DUI arrests in Georgia. This is likely because officers are equipped with speed detection devices and it is the type of offense that catches an officer’s eye.

In order to fully understand speeding laws in Georgia, you would have to refer to various parts of five different statutes: O.C.G.A. §§ 40-6-180, 40-6-181, 40-6-182, 40-6-183 and 40-6-188. The provisions of O.C.G.A. § 40-6-180 also cover the catch-all offense known as “driving too fast for conditions.”

Georgia has “absolute” speed limits, meaning a violation occurs even at one mile per hour over the posted speed limit. Unless otherwise posted, the absolute speed limits are as follows:

  • 20 miles per hour in school zones
  • 30 miles per hour in urban and residential districts
  • 35 miles per hour on unpaved country roads
  • 65 miles per hour on sections of physically divided highways without full access control on the state highway system
  • 70 miles per hour on interstate highways, and
  • 55 miles per hour on other roadways.

Absolute limits aside, Georgia’s basic speeding law prohibit driving at a speed greater than is “reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing.” Therefore, a driver must always drive at a safe and reasonable speed. What is safe and reasonable depends on the circumstances. 40 miles per hour on a clear day with no traffic is more safe and reasonable than 40 miles per hour in a snow storm with heavy traffic.

Penalties

Under Georgia law, technically, speeding offenses are misdemeanors and are therefore punishable with up to a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to one year in jail. Although these are the maximum punishments, speeding cases generally do not result in jail time.

For a first time speeding offense, the maximum fines are as follows:

  • $0 for speeding by 5 miles per hour or less over the limit
  • $25 for speeding by more than 5 but less than 10 miles per hour over the limit
  • $100 for speeding by more than 10 but less than 14 miles per hour over the limit
  • $125 for speeding by more than 14 but less than 19 miles per hour over the limit
  • $150 for speeding by at least 19 but less than 24 miles per hour over the limit
  • $500 for speeding by at least 24 but less than 34 miles per hour over the limit

Speeding in “work zones” can be punished by fines ranging from $100 to $2,000 and/or jail up to twelve months as this is a “high and aggravated” misdemeanor. Also, anyone convicted of speeding at 85 miles per hour, or 75 miles per hour on a two lane highway, will be deemed a “super speeder,” causing an additional $200 fine to be added to the sentence. These fine amounts are base fines and do not include statutory surcharges which significantly increase the total fine amount. A sentencing judge can always add on defensive driving courses as a condition of your sentence. In addition to fines and course, a motorist can also expect points to be assessed on their license by DDS (2-6 points depending on the offense).

Challenging the Stop

A speeding charge may be challenged through a motion to suppress or a motion in limine which are designed to attack the stop, arrest, or any evidence gathered as a result of an unlawful stop and/or arrest.

The State has the burden of proving each and every law regarding speed detection devices.

First, the arresting officer will attempt to establish they visually estimated your speed. Visual estimation of speed is sufficient to convict in Georgia.

In order to establish a “visual estimation,” the officer must testify that: he/she is trained in the visual estimation of speed for vehicles, how long he/she has been trained, how he/she was trained, how many visual estimations he/she has made in their career, and that he/she is accurate to within +- 5 mph of their estimation.

The State must also prove:

  • The department issuing you the citation has a permit issued by the Department of Public Safety to operate speed detection devices. The prosecutor may either admit this document into evidence or just have the officer testify that such a permit exists. O.C.G.A. 40-14-2.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the location where you were speeding is on the Department of Public Safety’s list of approved locations for the use of speed detection devices. Many prosecutors think the officer’s testimony alone is enough to satisfy this requirement, but the prosecutor must admit this list into evidence. O.C.G.A. 40-14-3.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the agency issuing the citation has a permit from the Federal Communications Commission to operate the device, and that device was inspected by a technician before it was placed into service and that the device is serviced by the technician annually. This provision only applies to citations based on radar evidence. This provision does not apply to speeding tickets issued based on Lidar/laser, VASCAR, pacing, or other forms of speed detection. O.C.G.A. 40-14-4.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the officer tested his speed detection device for accuracy at the beginning and end of his shift and that he recorded the results in a logbook. This may be proven through oral testimony, or the prosecutor may admit the logbook into evidence. O.C.G.A. 40-14-5.
  • The prosecutor must prove that there are signs at least 24 by 30 inches when you enter the county, city, etc. warning that there are speed detection devices in use. O.C.G.A. 40-14-6.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the officer was not using the speed detection device within 500 feet of these signs. O.C.G.A. 40-14-6.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the officer was not using the speed detection device within 500 feet of a change in speed limit sign. O.C.G.A. 40-14-6.
  • The prosecutor must prove that the officer operating a stationary speed detection device was visible for at least 500 feet to traffic. O.C.G.A. 40-14-7.
  • The prosecutor must prove that your speed was more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit unless you are in a school zone, historic district, or residential zones all of which must be properly marked. An area with a speed limit of 35 mph is not automatically a residential zone. The area must be properly marked as a school, historic, or residential zone. O.C.G.A. 40-14-8.
  • The prosecutor must prove you were not within 300 feet of a change in speed limit sign (if inside a municipality) or within 600 feet of a change in speed limit sign (if outside a municipality). O.C.G.A. 40-14-9.
  • The prosecutor must prove that there was not a change in the speed limit in the 30 days prior to your being issued the ticket at the location where you were given the ticket. O.C.G.A. 40-14-9.
  • The prosecutor must prove the location where you received the ticket is no on a grade in excess of 7 percent. Just because a location is listed on the Department of Public Safety’s list of approved locations for the use of speed detection devices this does not mean the location has been measured for the grade. This is an excellent source for cross-examination. O.C.G.A. 40-14-9.
  • The prosecutor must prove the officer issuing you the ticket has a permit to operate speed detection devices. This may be proven by admitting the permit or having the officer testify that he is certified. O.C.G.A. 40-14-10.

In addition to these technical requirements, an experienced attorney can also raise challenges to errors committed by the operator of a speed detection device. Examples include, but are not limited to: lack of training, misidentifying your vehicle as the speeding vehicle, improper movement or aiming of the speed detection device, the officer’s visibility and/or reaction time, interference with the device (weather conditions, radio interference, air conditioning, reflective surfaces).

As we can see, there are many intricate requirements the prosecution must properly satisfy in order to prove speeding. Because of these various requirements, it is highly recommended you contact an experienced attorney who can raise these challenges in a pre-trial motion or at trial.

Contact Us

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta DUI attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.

Smash and Grab Burglary in Georgia

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A Smash and Grab Burglary is one where a person intentionally enters a retail establishment with the intent to commit a theft, and causes damage in excess of $500.00 damages to the establishment without the owner’s consent. The most common form of a Smash and Grab burglary is done in a jewelry store where the glass cases are broken. However, all retail establishments are included under Georgia law, including restaurants. If a glass door is broken during a burglary, or a lock is broken, and it results in more than $500 in damage, you can be charged under the Smash and Grab statute in Georgia. This is true even if nothing is ever taken or stolen.

Smash and Grab burglaries are treated more harshly in Georgia than a regular retail burglary (which is known as Burglary in the 2nd degree in Georgia). For example, on a first offense for Smash and Grab, it is a mandatory minimum 2 to 20 years to serve and/or a fine of up to $100,000.  On a second conviction for Smash and Grab, the sentence will range of a minimum of 5 years in prison and up to 20 years or a fine of up to $100,000.  On the other hand, a Burglary in the 2nd degree is a lesser included offense, and has a mandatory minimum sentence of a year (versus two years on a first offense Smash and Grab).

Under Georgia law, eyewitnesses are not required for a conviction for burglary, and this includes a Smash and Grab burglary. Fingerprints, DNA on cigarette left nearby, surveillance footage, and even cell phone records showing the person near the scene can all be sufficient for a conviction. A seasoned attorney who has handled these unique cases will do a full case evaluation and may attack the methods of the investigation, as well as any cell phone records, search warrants, and forensic testing done by law enforcement.

If you or a loved one has been charged with Burglary in Georgia, including a Smash and Grab, call the Law Office of W. Scott Smith today for a free case evaluation at 404-581-0999.

False Identification in Georgia

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A couple times a month we receive a call from someone who receives a letter from the Department of Driver Services stating they are being investigated for providing fraudulent information, false identification, on their drivers license. That crime and others are covered in Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) 16-9-4; Manufacturing, Selling, or Distributing False Identification Documents.

What exactly does this mean?

Under O.C.G.A. 16-9-4 it is unlawful for any person to knowingly possess, display, or use any false, fictitious, fraudulent, or altered identification document. It is also unlawful to make, alter, sell, distribute or deliver the identification document with intent to provide them for others. An identification document has to be issued by a government agency or by authority of the government and it must contain a name, and a description or photograph. Common identification documents include passports, VISAs, military IDs, driver’s licenses, or state issued ID cards. This also includes employer issues ID badges, if the badges contain a trademark or trade name and access cards that are unique to specific individuals.

What will happen?

Anyone found guilty of possessing an identification document for their own use would be guilty of a misdemeanor. If you’ve made, altered or sold identification documents for others, they you would be guilty of a felony. Also, if you’re found to use property to help you in violating this code section, you can be subject to civil forfeiture of the property used to aid in possessing, making, altering, or selling these identification documents.

 

If you’ve been charged or are worried you are going to be charged with an identification document violation in Georgia, call us today for a free consultation at 404-581-0999.

 

by Ryan Walsh