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Georgia Criminal Court Dates and COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

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If you had a court date for a criminal charge, including traffic violations after March 13, 2020, you’ve probably received notice of a new court date for some time in May, or received notice that the court date will be rescheduled for a later date. If you’ve recently been arrested in Fulton, DeKalb or Cobb counties, you may not have received a court date. Other counties may be placing dates on your citations when they release you instead of arresting you to maximize social distancing. Don’t worry, they will come, and having a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney is going to be the best way to be prepared when it does.

Our office is actively working on cases during the Coronavirus. We are reaching out to prosecutors and working on resolutions for cases short of going to court. We can help you address your criminal case during this COVID-19 pandemic.

If you have a loved one in custody we are actively working on getting bonds for our clients to prevent extended time in custody in jails, some of which have inmates who have tested positive for the virus.

Call us today at 404-581-0999 to discuss your criminal charges. Our consultations are always free. Be prepared for your next court date. We offer flexible payment plans to assist you during this difficult time.

Released on Copy of Citation in Georgia – Is it Still a Crime?

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In Georgia, you don’t have to be arrested to be charged with a crime. All traffic offenses and certain other crimes allow officers to release you on a copy of citation. This includes city ordinance violations in many Georgia municipalities, all traffic offenses including DUI, some drug crimes, minor theft cases, and other crimes and misdemeanors. Just because you haven’t been arrested does not mean you aren’t facing a serious criminal charge that could be on your criminal record forever.

The good news is that because you weren’t arrested and fingerprinted, it means that arrest is not on your criminal history right now. But it very well could be later, and it is important to have the right Georgia criminal defense attorney on your side to prevent that citation from hurting you later.

The right Georgia criminal defense attorney can acquire all the evidence in the case and do everything they can to try and prevent you from being fingerprinted later and a cycle appearing on your Georgia Criminal History. Many municipalities require fingerprinting after conviction, or sometimes if you request a jury trial on your case. Once you are fingerprinted, that charge may appear on your Georgia criminal history and be available to people running background checks.

Also, just because you aren’t fingerprinted, doesn’t mean there is not a record of your case in the Clerk’s office where you are charged. Many background check companies are now going directly to local Clerk’s offices in your area looking for open and closed cases with your name and date of birth. Even if you weren’t arrested, and often if a case is dismissed and proper procedures aren’t taken, the charges of your case still show up in the Clerk’s record, potentially impacting your ability to find work in Georgia.

Our office of criminal defense attorneys will do everything we can to protect your criminal history. Call us today for a free consultation at 404-581-0999.