Georgia Crimes

Recent Cases

Internet “sextortion” cases grow in Georgia and across the nation

August 20, 2010

Police have begun cracking down on individuals who use Facebook and MySpace to extort or blackmail others for explicit photos and sex. The practice, known as “sextortion”, has led to prison sentences in Georgia and throughout the US. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story. Those involved in sextortion cases are usually teenagers and young […]

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Recent changes to Georgia’s sex offender registry offer hope for removing low-level offenders

June 23, 2010

A new Georgia sex offender law will allow many low level sex offenders to be taken off the registry much sooner than previously allowed. The new law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2010, has been hailed by proponents as a second chance for many of Georgia’s 16,000 convicted sex offenders. Until the passage […]

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Georgia appeals court limits “pat-down” searches and “safety frisks”

June 6, 2010

The Court of Appeals recently reaffirmed the long standing rule that an officer who conducts a traffic stop must have a particularized suspicion that an occupant of the vehicle poses a safety threat before the occupant can be patted-down. The Court went on to hold that this rule holds true even if the officer intends […]

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Georgia’s mandatory sentencing schemes cost taxpayers over a billion dollars a year

May 30, 2010

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (reporters Bill Rankin and Carrie Teegardin) recently penned an outstanding article on the ever-escalating cost of incarcerating people in Georgia. The statistics are disturbing. Currently, one in 13 people are currently in custody, on parole or on probation. This statistic means that Georgia has a higher percentage of its residents under […]

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Athens Georgia officials continue investigation into alleged probation scandal

May 10, 2010

In March, three Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services employees were arrested for taking bribes from probationers. In addition to the three arrests, probation officers have sought to revoke the probation of numerous individuals who officers say bribed the three county employees. Authorities are also still trying to determine if the alleged corruption involved more Athens-Clarke Coun…

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