On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Here in Georgia, anyone age 17 or older who faces criminal accusations is charged and tried as an adult. In fact, depending on the allegations, a child as young as 14 can be charged as an adult. Juveniles frequently face very serious consequences for criminal convictions, one of the longer-lasting penalties being a criminal record.
A criminal record can affect a young person for the rest of his or her life, preventing him or her from being admitted to college or obtaining financial aid or being offered employment. Unfortunately, this means that some people are forced to pay for the mistakes of their youth for the rest of their lives. And although a recent study suggests that colleges might be wasting their time screening the backgrounds of potential students, they are not likely to stop this practice anytime soon.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board published a report of several recommendations aimed to curb drunk driving. One of these recommendations is garnering quite a bit of attention in the media--that of lowering the legal blood-alcohol limit from .08 to .05 percent in every state, including Georgia.
While the NTSB's goal in lowering the limit is to prevent drunk driving car accidents, this suggestion is quite interesting because the NTSB's statistics show that most fatal drunk driving accidents actually tend to involve drivers who are way over the .08 percent limit.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, May 10, 2013
In recent years there have been a number of controversies surrounding people facing criminal charges for actions that may not actually be crimes. We are seeing this more and more in the schoolyard, where kids are ending up being arrested for things that not too long ago would have resulted in nothing more than detention or a visit to the principal's office. Food fights, talking back and horseplay used to lead to a slap on the wrist, and now they may lead to handcuffs.
The line between what constitutes bad or inappropriate behavior and a violation of criminal law has also become blurred for adults. For example, CBS Atlanta reported that police were recently called to a second-grade classroom in another state after at least one student's mother reported that a teacher's disciplinary tactics may amount to child abuse.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, May 3, 2013
A couple of weeks ago we wrote about how common it is for college students to get their hands on fake IDs and drink underage. College students, however, are not the only minors who are consuming alcohol here in Atlanta. A recent report suggests that a staggering number of high school students are not only drinking alcohol, but they are driving drunk.
Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual insurance conducted a survey and found that about 23 percent of teenagers admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. More shocking than the number of teens who may be behind the wheel under the influence is the fact that the teens may not really understand the consequences. About 20 percent of teens who said they drive under the influence of alcohol said that they think alcohol improves their driving. When it came to marijuana users, 34 percent of them thought that getting high made them better drivers.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drug Crimes on Friday, April 26, 2013
When people face drug charges, one of the most important things they can do is to make sure they understand their rights and legal options. This is often where criminal defense attorneys come in. Depending on a number of factors--including the circumstances of the arrest, the evidence and the person's criminal history--it may be more favorable to choose to negotiate a plea deal or to fight the charges at trial. It is beneficial to work with a criminal defense attorney in order to make the best decisions.
In a recent drug possession case, an Atlanta-based rapper has been acquitted at trial. Rapper 2 Chainz had been accused of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Maryland back in February.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Youthful Offenders on Thursday, April 18, 2013
For many college students in Georgia and across the country, obtaining a fake driver's license is a common occurrence - often allowing students to go to the bar with their friends who may even be in the same grade. The legal drinking age is 21 years old, meaning most college students will reach this milestone while they are in school.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, April 12, 2013
As we have previously discussed in this Atlanta Criminal Law Blog, Georgia state law is very tough on drunk drivers. In fact, people can get arrested not only for driving a car while intoxicated, but also for driving other motor vehicles such as boats, lawnmowers or golf carts. In Fayette County, authorities are planning to crack down on golf cart DUIs.
In Peachtree City specifically many residents own golf carts. According to a recent news report, there are more than 10,000 registered golf carts in the city and many people use them not only for golfing, but for transportation.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, April 4, 2013
Anyone who faces charges for a sex crime in Georgia is likely in for an uphill battle. Sex crimes come with a major stigma, and people are often assumed guilty before the evidence is even presented. And, of course the stakes are very high in sex crimes cases. Not only do convictions for sex crimes typically result in significant jail time, but they also ruin reputations and career opportunities for years to come.
A former Cobb County high school teacher and coach was charged with sexually assaulting a student last week after having been arrested last June. Although the high school student in this case was at least 18 years old at the time relations may have occurred, consensual sex between a high school teacher or administrator and a student is illegal in Georgia even if the student is an adult.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, March 29, 2013
Road rage can be a serious problem on Atlanta's roads. It is important that those who suffer from road rage seek treatment in order to get help before their rage gets them into trouble. Additionally, those who do face criminal charges for road rage incidents should be sure to seek legal counsel in order to resolve the case in a way that best protects their interests.
Earlier this week, a Georgia man was arrested in Cherokee County after an alleged incident involving road rage. He is now facing nine criminal charges, including driving under the influence and making terroristic threats.
On behalf of Raymond V. Giudice, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, March 22, 2013
When we discuss drunk driving in this Atlanta Criminal Defense Law blog, we are typically talking about people who face DUI charges after being arrested behind the wheel of a car or truck. Georgia's drunk driving laws apply not only to road vehicles, however. In fact, people can face steep consequences for driving a golf cart, lawn mower or boat while under the influence of alcohol. Georgia's lawmakers have recently come together to actually tighten boating under the influence laws even further, so any boaters should pay attention to that legislation.
As it stands, it is illegal to drive a boat with a blood alcohol content of .10 or higher. This is a bit higher than what is allowed in a land motor vehicle. It is currently illegal to operate a motor vehicle on Georgia's roads with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. New legislation would lower the boating blood alcohol level to .08 as well.
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