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.
Georgia criminal defense attorney wins reversal of murder conviction based on state’s failure to disclose co-defendant’s altered plea agreement
The Supreme Court of Georgia recently held that the state’s failure to disclose a co-defendant’s changed sentence from the plea agreement, which allowed the co-defendant to potentially reduce his sentence after testifying against the defendant, robbed the defendant of his right to impeach the co-defendant by showing a motivation to lie. In State v. Gonnella, the defendant, Gonnella, was convicted of felony murder but acquitted of malice murder. On the night in question, Gonnella and his friend Evans drove to an ...
Atlanta criminal attorney requests dismissal of voluntary manslaughter charge in the death of A.J. Jewell
The manager of the Atlanta strip club Body Tap, Frederick Richardson, was arrested for manslaughter in connection with the death of A.J. Jewell in October. Richardson’s attorney asked the judge this week to dismiss the charge after an autopsy revealed that Richardson may not have been the primary actor in causing Jewell’s death The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story. Jewell is best known for being the former fiancé of Kandi Buress, a member of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta”. ...
Atlanta defense lawyer wins appeal in murder case when the state supreme court finds his client’s confession was not voluntary
The Supreme Court of Georgia recently suppressed the confession of a murder suspect after finding the confession to be involuntary. In particular, evidence suggested that the suspect had been beaten by police, shocked with a Taser, stripped naked and denied medical attention before he confessed to the murder. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story. In State v. Lynch, the defendant, Lynch, was suspected of killing a man in DeKalb County and then driving the victim’s car to North Carolina. ...
Macon Georgia criminal attorney wins murder case in Houston County
On Friday, a Houston County jury decided that Mario Harris was not guilty of murdering Stephen Register outside a Warner Robins Buffalo’s in December of 2007. The defense argued that Harris was acting in self-defense when he stabbed and killed Register. The Macon Telegraph has the story. Harris was facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, aggravated assault and manslaughter. The charges stemmed from an incident in which Harris ...
