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By: William C. Head, Criminal Defense Attorney Atlanta GA and ABA Board-Certified DUI Attorney
Some marijuana possession cases can be dismissed, or changed to another less impactful local or state offense. So, a criminal lawyer who is both a traffic ticket lawyer and DUI specialist is your best bet to find a great solution to weed possession charges.
Ask our criminal attorneys about how to win a possession of marijuana criminal case, and the possible sentencing alternatives for a misdemeanor possession of alcohol case. When we screen your case facts, we will determine if you are eligible for any of these more favorable alternatives:
Do not plead guilty to possession of marijuana in Georgia! The various, favorable legal alternatives outlined above exist under Georgia laws for misdemeanor marijuana possession first offenders, and possibly for a second offender (with some alternatives).
This is especially true if the quantity of marijuana possessed is less than one ounce. As national attitudes relax toward marijuana, GA laws on punishment for possession of weed will hopefully be reduced further.
If you cannot afford a private criminal defense attorney then get a public defender, to avoid harsh marijuana possession consequences, and a future criminal record that may interfere with job opportunities.
Also, if you have pleaded to any misdemeanor marijuana possession case previously, and had your driver’s license suspended, CALL US TODAY. If that case was not involving a DUI conviction, then our criminal justice attorney law firm can likely correct your criminal history and get your license reinstated for you under a new Georgia law that went into effect on July 1, 2016.
This rare legislative improvement in the right of citizens who previously were convicted for possession of weed (or other drugs) and suffered a Georgia driver license suspension may be available.
In Georgia, our DUI drug laws relating to driving are illogical and punitive, when it comes to your driver license. The list of 5 favorable alternatives to marijuana possession are not available in a DUI drugs conviction. Few changes have occurred in Georgia in the last 10 years, as other states decriminalize or legalize recreational marijuana use. However, in the past, even NOT being in a car and possessing marijuana could take away your right to drive. But, the GA DUI laws changed in 2016.
A conviction for first offense DUI marijuana (or any other drug) will SUSPEND the offender’s right to drive in Georgia for at least 6 months. This is what is called “hard suspension,” meaning that no limited permit or work permit is available.
A second offense in 5 years is a 3-year loss of driving privileges, but (if we can’t get the DUI reduced to reckless driving) our DUI law firm can assist most people to get reinstated to drive after a hard suspension of 12 months. See our punishment grid for DUI penalties.
Many callers ask us, “How much is a possession charge?” In the big picture, these costs of a possession of marijuana case are very minor compared to other consequences of conviction.
A fine of $1,000 (plus applicable state surcharges) and up to 12 months in county jail are the maximum penalties for weed possession, when less than one ounce. Because judges in Georgia are given wide discretion in sentencing, many will want some other component of drug and alcohol education (e.g., Risk Reduction Program, which is DUI classes) or treatment sessions with a counselor to be imposed. A few judges will require random testing, is this is a second possession charge.
While alcohol-related offenses (other than a felony) do not potentially affect the Hope Scholarship, drug offenses can. https://gsfc.georgia.gov/sites/gsfc.georgia.gov/files/2017-HOPE-PUBLIC_0.pdf.
Many more reasons exist, too, especially for those who want to enter the military, or go into certain professions. High security clearance jobs will be unavailable, in many instances, and even police departments screen for prior marijuana use or convictions. See Mr. Head’s DUI Consequences page, listing this and 96 more consequences of a DUI conviction.
Contact one of our criminal defense attorneys to protect your ability to drive. Mr. Head is a member of NORML.org, and he and his partners, Larry Kohn and Cory Yager, all aggressively handle misdemeanor or felony marijuana possession charges for our clients, as well as the more serious DUI drug accusation or traffic ticket. With thousands of cases under each of our belts, we know how to in a criminal case, for our clients.
After being arrested for DUI in Georgia, the first thing to do it identify an expert on Georgia DUI law through top attorney ratings. Look at who is BEHIND the law firm, review each of the trial lawyers’ credentials, and check out the criminal defense attorney who leads the law office. Every experienced DUI lawyer in the law firm must have full command of DUI laws and possess training in all aspects of successfully challenging the driving under the influence criminal case.
This successful defense record must include suppressing breath alcohol tests, and knowing every prior appellate decision on the Georgia implied consent law. An increasing number of drugged driving cases require that our criminal defense lawyers know how to challenge a GBI blood alcohol or drugs test. Being an INSTRUCTOR in the three NHTSA standardized field sobriety tests (SFST) is also necessary.
The best DUI attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia will offer you a FREE consultation, explain how their criminal attorneys search for a successful defense in your case, and aggressively represent clients to the maximum extent the law allows. Limit your search to DUI lawyers who have legitimate lawyer ratings and a history of proven results on knowing how to beat a DUI. If we are the criminal defense attorneys for you, ask us about our attorney payment plans.
Call our DUI defense lawyers NOW, 24-7, for an initial case review and FREE legal advice: 404-567-5515, or email our criminal justice attorneys.
