Violent Crimes
Murder, aggravated assault, battery and robbery cases are fairly common in Georgia. Our approach to defending these cases is not. We approach these cases with the tenacity and diligence necessary to find all relevant evidence and potential witnesses as soon as we are retained. Our hard work usually uncovers important information the prosecution never found. Sometimes, the prosecutor will re-evaluate their case after seeing our evidence. In other cases, our diligence allows to be better prepared and successful at trial.
For many violent crime cases, we can challenge the prosecution on the basis of self-defense. Georgia law gives people the right to a pre-trial hearing in violent crime cases when they raise the argument of self-defense. If we win that initial hearing, then the case will be dismissed and the client is immune from further prosecution.
Below are some of our notes on recent cases and trends in Georgia violent crimes cases.
“Stand Your Ground” laws and the Trayvon Martin case
Page Pate was recently interviewed on WABE about the similarity of Georgia's "stand your ground" self-defense statute with Florida law in the wake of the February shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. That shooting has ignited controversy across the nation over the role that the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law had in creating the circumstances of Martin’s death and in preventing Florida law enforcement from arresting George Zimmerman, the shooter. The federal government has now begun own ...
Georgia criminal lawyer wins reversal in DeKalb murder case
On Monday, the Supreme Court of Georgia reversed the convictions of two men who were found guilty of murdering a DeKalb man at his home recording studio. The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office must now decide whether it will retry the men. WABE News and the Atlanta Journal Constitution have the story. Prosecutors say that Steven Manley and Robert Allen planned to rob the home of Emmett Whatley in February of 2007, because they knew he stored large sum ...
Georgia criminal lawyer wins acquittal on reckless conduct charge in after-prom party death in Barrow County
Barrow County High School student Leland Martin, 18, died of suffocation in 2007 after passing out during a prom party. Authorities say alcohol contributed to the death. On Thursday, a Barrow County jury acquitted Anthony Perry, who was 19 at the time, of playing a role in Martin’s death. The Athens Banner-Herald has the story. The Barrow County District Attorney’s Office had charged Perry with reckless conduct, since the party at which Martin died occurred in Perry’s home. ...
Criminal defense lawyers win speedy trial motions on appeal
The Court of Appeals of Georgia recently reversed the denials of motions to dismiss based on speedy trial grounds in two different cases. The court found that the 35 and 36 month delays were both presumptively prejudicial and violated a defendant’s right to a speedy trial under the four-part balancing test. In Davis v. State, the defendant, Davis, was arrested for kidnapping with bodily injury, burglary, armed robbery and aggravated assault in March of 2005. 17 months later he filed a ...
