How Can A Lawyer Help Me?

I receive several calls a week from people who are not sure they need a lawyer.  Many just want some advice.  I used to spend a great deal of time trying to talk people into hiring an attorney.  However, I have learned over the years that I cannot save a person from himself or herself.  Most of the time a person who is charged with a criminal offense or traffic offense needs to have an experienced advocate on their side.

Here are some of the things a Georgia DUI Attorney can do for someone charged with a crime or a traffic offense:

Alternative Sentencing:

Diversion programs: Some examples of diversion programs include “Pretrial Intervention Traffic” and “Pretrial Intervention Misdemeanor.”  DUI cases are not eligible. In some jurisdictions, pretrial diversion is the preferable outcome for possession of marijuana cases, and with successful completion, it will save the driver's license of the accused.

If your case is eligible, by completing a Pretrial Diversion Program, your charges will be dismissed and potentially expunged from your criminal record. With the goal of preventing future crime, most diversion programs require community service, a fine or program fee, attending a personal development seminar, and completion of an alcohol awareness course or an Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction.  Juvenile offenders (or youthful offenders) may also be required to complete an essay expressing what has been learned from the offense.

Conditional Discharge: Recommended for people who are ineligible for Pre-trial Intervention or in jurisdictions that do not offer diversion programs.  In cases involving possession of marijuana, conditional discharge is particularly useful because it saves a person from having their license suspended.

Like diversion, there can be fines, community service, and other consequences.  However, the goal is to keep a conviction off a person's record.

Reduction to County or City Ordinance: Many offenses have a corresponding ordinance violation that parallels the state law offense.  Most ordinances do not carry jail time nor will they appear on a person's criminal record.   Your attorney may be able to negotiate a reduction of the offense to a city or county ordinance violation.

Specific to Atlanta Municipal Court: Atlanta Municipal Court offers diversion for traffic offenses committed by out of state drivers.  Many times the lawyer can make all of the appearances for the client when dealing with diversion.  If completed, the case is dismissed, plus the program fee is usually less than the fine associated with the traffic ticket.

The City of Atlanta Municipal Court has multiple program options, which may be available to you depending on your case. Here is a list of some of these programs:

Pre-Trial Intervention-Traffic: This program provides traffic offenders an opportunity to resolve their case without going through the typical court proceedings and sentencing. Completion of the program may lead to the dismissal of your case. To qualify for this program, you must be over 21-years-old and must not have participated in the program within 12-months. The major benefit of this program is that it allows participants to avoid license points.

Pre-Trial Intervention: May be an option if you are facing a minor criminal offense. To qualify, participants must not have any prior convictions or any other current cases pending, and it must be the first time that participant has gone through a diversion program.

As you can see, Pretrial Diversion Programs offer many benefits. To find out if your case qualifies for one of these programs at City of Atlanta Municipal Court or any other Georgia court, speak to an Atlanta Traffic Ticket Lawyers at our office.  The Atlanta Traffic Ticket Attorneys from our office are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help.