Entrapment Defense in Georgia: When Undercover Police Operations Cross the Line
Undercover stings are common in Georgia criminal cases. Officers may pose as buyers, sellers, or even minors online, and courts usually accept those tactics. However, when officers push someone into a crime they were not already ready to commit, the law calls that entrapment. What Entrapment Really Means in Georgia According to Georgia’s entrapment statute, O.C.G.A.… Continue reading Entrapment Defense in Georgia: When Undercover Police Operations Cross the Line
Read MoreClaiming Diminished Value in Georgia Car Accident Cases: Getting Compensated for Your Vehicle’s Lost Worth
When your car is finally repaired after a crash, you may feel some relief. Then you pull the Carfax report and see the accident label, and the trade-in offer drops. That gap between what your car was worth before the wreck and what it is worth now is called diminished value. In Georgia, that loss… Continue reading Claiming Diminished Value in Georgia Car Accident Cases: Getting Compensated for Your Vehicle’s Lost Worth
Read MoreEnding Probation Early: How to Qualify for Early Termination of Probation in Georgia
Under Georgia law, the court has the authority to discharge someone from probation at any time, provided it is in the interest of justice and the public good. This authority is discretionary, meaning a judge can use this benefit to motivate defendants who are making progress in rehabilitation. To get discharged from probation early, defendants… Continue reading Ending Probation Early: How to Qualify for Early Termination of Probation in Georgia
Read MoreEvery Dog Gets One Free Bite? Demystifying Georgia’s Dog Bite Laws for Injured Victims
Georgia’s dog bite law holds owners responsible if they knew their dog had a vicious propensity or carelessly managed the animal. The statute imposes liability when the owner “carelessly managed” a vicious or dangerous animal or allowed it to roam at large. An injured person can prove viciousness by showing that the dog violated a local… Continue reading Every Dog Gets One Free Bite? Demystifying Georgia’s Dog Bite Laws for Injured Victims
Read MorePole Cameras and Curtilage: Suppressing Long-Term, Warrantless Video Surveillance Around the Home in Georgia Courts
Some police departments in the country have used pole cameras to surveil homes for weeks or even months without a warrant. Pole cameras are proficient at zooming in on porches, driveways, and yards to allow for the capture of private moments that were never intended to be shared with the public. In Georgia, these locations,… Continue reading Pole Cameras and Curtilage: Suppressing Long-Term, Warrantless Video Surveillance Around the Home in Georgia Courts
Read MoreThe ELD Deletion Problem: Seeking Spoliation Sanctions When Trucking ELD/Telematics Data “Disappears”
In trucking crash cases, electronic logging devices (ELDs) and telematics systems often hold the key to what happened. These tools record speed, braking, hours of service, location, and more. Federal law requires carriers to retain these records for six months and to back them up on a separate device. However, in some cases, this data… Continue reading The ELD Deletion Problem: Seeking Spoliation Sanctions When Trucking ELD/Telematics Data “Disappears”
Read MoreInsanity Defense in Georgia: Understanding ‘Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity’ vs. ‘Guilty but Mentally Ill’ Verdicts
Georgia law draws a hard line between having a mental illness and being legally insane. The standard is set in O.C.G.A. § 16-3-2: If, at the moment the crime happened, a person couldn’t tell right from wrong because of a mental illness or defect, they aren’t criminally responsible. There’s also O.C.G.A. § 16-3-3, which covers… Continue reading Insanity Defense in Georgia: Understanding ‘Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity’ vs. ‘Guilty but Mentally Ill’ Verdicts
Read MoreWhen the Government Causes Injury: Navigating Sovereign Immunity in Georgia for Accident Claims
Accidents with government vehicles, like a city garbage truck, county school bus, or state patrol car, are not handled the same way as crashes between private drivers. Georgia law gives state and local governments a layer of protection called sovereign immunity, which can block lawsuits in many situations. That doesn’t mean you have no recourse, but… Continue reading When the Government Causes Injury: Navigating Sovereign Immunity in Georgia for Accident Claims
Read MoreClearing Your Record in Georgia: How Record Restriction (Expungement) Can Give You a Second Chance
A criminal record can hang over your head for years, even after you have turned your life around. In Georgia, many people hear the term “expungement” and think it means the record is erased forever. Georgia uses what is called record restriction, which hides eligible records from public view. Who Can Get Their Record Restricted? Not… Continue reading Clearing Your Record in Georgia: How Record Restriction (Expungement) Can Give You a Second Chance
Read MorePursuing Punitive Damages in Georgia Accident Cases: Holding Reckless Parties Fully Accountable
When someone is seriously hurt in an accident, they usually think about medical bills and lost wages. However, in Georgia, there is another type of damage called punitive damages. These damages are meant to punish the person who caused the harm and stop them (and others) from doing it again. What “Willful or Wanton Conduct”… Continue reading Pursuing Punitive Damages in Georgia Accident Cases: Holding Reckless Parties Fully Accountable
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