Sandy Springs Criminal Defense Lawyer
It can be hard to know what to expect when facing criminal charges of any kind. Whether you have been convicted of an offense previously or if you have never been charged with a crime before, the legal process can be confusing and difficult to navigate without professional guidance and support.
Fortunately, a skilled Sandy Springs criminal defense lawyer can provide the advice and expertise you need no matter your situation. By retaining an experienced Sandy Springs criminal lawyer, you will give yourself a better chance of protecting your legal rights and obtaining a positive outcome in your case.
Classification of Criminal Offenses in Sandy Springs
The State of Georgia classifies criminal acts as either felonies or misdemeanors depending on their severity. The latter category is the less severe of the two, as misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in a county jail, as well as a maximum fine of $1,000, as per Official Code of Georgia §17-10-3. This statute also establishes that a judge may sentence a convicted defendant to up to 12 months of probation rather than jail time, or allow a defendant sentenced to less than six months of imprisonment to serve that time on weekends.
Any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment is classified as a felony in Georgia. Specific punishments beyond this minimum standard vary depending on the offense, but in general non-violent crimes such as theft are punished less severely than violent crimes, like armed robbery. A qualified Sandy Springs criminal defense attorney could offer further clarification about what to expect from any particular charge.
In certain cases, there may be exceptions to these standard regulations for criminal punishment. For example, O.C.G.A. §17-10-4 allows for misdemeanors of a “high and aggravated nature” to be punished by a maximum fine of $5,000. In the same vein, O.C.G.A. §17-10-5 establishes that crimes which may be classified as misdemeanors or felonies in different circumstances—known colloquially as “wobblers”—may result in a lesser sentence at the judge’s discretion if the maximum felony punishment is less than ten years of imprisonment.
