Atlanta Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

The recent deal brokered by the lawyers representing the rapper “T.I.” here in Atlanta is but one more example of how creative lawyers can sometimes put together a deal that works out for both sides. The high profile nature of the case obscures the bigger point: when qualified and creative defense attorneys work with open-minded…

In a federal criminal case out of Atlanta, Georgia, I recently convinced the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit that probation was the appropriate sentence for a former bank executive we represented. This is not only a huge win for our client, it also is one more case showing the recent trend…

The final step of dismissing federal criminal charges against a medical doctor took place today in Atlanta when we got word that the United States Attorney’s office agrees that our client fulfilled his part of a pretrial diversion agreement. This case is a lesson in several aspects of federal criminal cases: 1) the feds will…

I recently posted a blog entry about the review on appeal of federal criminal sentences by the the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, a court that covers Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Now comes another case, United States v. Pugh, which seems to show that this is still an unresolved issue for federal criminal cases in…

Criminal defense lawyers in Atlanta are like those throughout the country, I suspect. We enjoy our work, are a bit clubby and territorial, and for the most part pay attention to high profile cases, even when we are not ourselves involved in the matter. Most people know about the case against Brian Nichols, a man…

Most folks who know me or who might stumble across this blog recognize that I practice mostly federal criminal law here in Atlanta. I have been doing this for about 23 years now, and still enjoy my work immensely. Nevertheless, there are some aspects of being a criminal defense lawyer here in Georgia (or anywhere…

I spoke recently on the topic of Federal Firearms Offenses to a group of lawyers in Birmingham, Alabama. My law partner Carl Lietz and I each periodically speak to attorneys in various parts of the country, usually in the South but occasionally in other regions as well. Carl also spoke to the same group about…

The high profile prosecution of actor Wesley Snipes in Orlando, Florida seems to be an example of the “perfect storm” phenomenon. The combination of publicity, taxes and race has led to a variety of interesting rulings and tactics in this federal criminal tax case. These factors are a lesson to other potential high profile targets…

There are battles brewing over appellate review of federal criminal sentences. The recent decision from the United States Supreme Court in Gall v. United States appeared to end these battles, but recent cases show that the controversy will continue for a while. Let’s go over again for a moment how all this came about, and…

Sentences in federal court for crack cocaine offenses will be reduced for many people, based on an amendment issued by the United States Sentencing Commission on December 11, 2007. This is good news for defendants who have been forced to spend longer in prison than similary situated defendants who were convicted of powder cocaine violations.…