On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Violent Crimes on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Not many Georgia parents would think their 11-year-old or 15-year-old children could commit a crime, much less one as serious as murder. The idea that children that young could plan a murder, get access to a weapon, and have the foresight and wherewithal to hide or tamper with evidence after the crime seems preposterous. Unfortunately, members of the Dougherty County Child Death Team have arrested two 11- and 15-year-old boys, accusing them of this serious violent crime.
Not only have Georgia police officers accused such young children of such a serious crime, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says they believe the 11-year-old was the one who shot the 13-year-old boy. Police also believe that after the incident the 11-year-old supposedly tampered with the evidence. He has since been criminally charged with tampering with evidence and felony murder.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, February 17, 2012
A Stone Mountain, Georgia, woman has recently been indicted on 13 counts after she allegedly hit an Atlanta police officer with her car, causing the officer's death. While a drunk driving charge is certainly serious, being charged with the death of a police officer makes it very easy for the prosecution to vilify a suspect. One of the tenants of the American legal system is that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but certain high-touch topics like the death of a police officer makes it very difficult to find an impartial or unbiased jury.
The 22-year-old woman is sitting in the Fulton County Jail and has been denied bond. While she awaits a trial in the Fulton County Superior Court, her criminal defense attorney will work to find a group of people who will not find her guilty based purely off the nature of the alleged crime.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Drug Crimes on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Being charged with a drug crime in McDonough can really set your life back. A conviction can follow you around well after you leave prison. Marijuana possession, especially possession of more than one ounce, is a felony charge and has serious consequences. Many convictions result in fines up to $20,000 and long prison sentences. Trying to defend these charges on your own or thinking you will be able to convince police to drop the charges by explaining your story is extremely risky and is a gamble many people are not willing to make.
Now, five Clayton County residents are being charged with felony marijuana possession after police raided a home in Fairburn. Late last week Clayton County police officers acted on a tip from the Fairburn Police Department about the possible drug activity, but the Henry Daily Herald does not indicate that Clayton County officers corroborated the tip before making their raid. It seems officers blindly accepted the Fairburn officer's allegations.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Violent Crimes on Friday, February 10, 2012
A Georgia man has recently been arrested after being accused of killing his girlfriend and a police officer, but his father has told the media that his son has long dealt with mental health issues. According to law enforcement officials, he was picked him up on a warrant for murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
According to The Washington Post, the man murdered his girlfriend late last month. Her body was found in her apartment with a gunshot wound to the head. In a separate incident, the man allegedly shot a police officer. The police officer was shot while she was responding to a suspicious activity report. She had been with the public safety department for almost 28 years. Police arrested the man just hours after they claim he killed the police officer.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Monday, February 6, 2012
For the past two years, the weekly newspaper Busted has been publishing the photographs of people who have been arrested locally, in part, says the editor and publisher, to humiliate people into behaving. While he freely admits that it is a "trashy tabloid" and puts a disclosure on the front cover that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, it is possible that many people in McDonough may not realize an arrest is different than a conviction.
This blog has mentioned before how certain crimes, such as felony DUI, can cause considerable damage to your reputation. Even the accusation alone can affect how Georgia employers view you and make it difficult to maintain or find a job. The more public the accusation, the more likely it is that your life will be influenced by a simple arrest.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Sex Crimes on Friday, February 3, 2012
Ask any parent in Henry County whether a 6-year-old understands boundaries and you will probably discover that not many do. Boundaries, personal space and touch are all things young children are curious about, but many will stop once told their behavior is inappropriate. There is growing concern, however, that some schools in Georgia and across the country are severely punishing very young pupils for sometimes minor behavior.
One 6-year-old was recently suspended from school and had a note put in his permanent record after his school accused him of sexually assaulting a boy in recess. Most people can't imagine such a young child would have the mindset to commit a sexual assault on another boy or even how such an incident could happen under the watchful eyes of teachers, but his school insisted the first grader touched another boy's upper thigh or possibly his genitals.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Violent Crimes on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Although parents in McDonough know that school administrators can't do whatever they want to students, they most likely don't want principals to be scared to maintain order in the school or do their jobs because of the threat of criminal charges. School officials that cross the line should be punished, but someone who is ensuring the safety of the school and its students should not be subject to criminal sanctions.
After being charged with simple battery, a Fulton County magistrate judge has dropped the violent crimes charge against a Georgia principal. Late last year a student accused the principal of shoving him into the wall of a school just north of Atlanta. The student said that he was volunteering at the school on Sept. 25, when the principal knocked him into the wall.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, January 27, 2012
One mistake could change a McDonough driver's life. Drunk driving can certainly cause some problems in Henry County and across Georgia, but just because someone has been convicted of one DUI doesn't mean that he or she should be punished for the rest of his or her life, at least that's what one Georgia politician believes. According to the representative, one conviction does not indicate that the person will continue to drink and drive.
Because a DUI conviction can stay on your record well after you have served your punishment, acknowledged your responsibility and moved on, the Georgia lawmaker has recently proposed a bill that would allow someone who is convicted of drunk driving to clear his or her record after five years. The state representative has said that current legislation doesn't allow for a judge to take into account the actual circumstances surrounding the charge and sentence accordingly. This bill would provide judges with a little more discretion.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Sex Crimes on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Georgia parents are often all too aware that their high school children will date whomever they please and the more they try to regulate their children's love lives, the more likely they will date in secret. Some McDonough parents may discover, however, that their children's relationships could be breaking the law and have very serious consequences.
If a high-school student who has already turned 18-years-old is dating anyone under the age of consent, he or she must be extremely careful with his or her relationship. Engaging in sexual intercourse, even consensual intercourse, could lead to serious criminal charges, time in prison and a spot on the sex-offender registry. One 26-year-old man has finally gotten out of prison after more than six years behind bars for having sex with his former high school sweetheart.
On behalf of Power, Jaugstetter & Futch, P.C. Successor by name change to Power & Cooper, P.C. posted in Violent Crimes on Friday, January 20, 2012
Three individuals have recently been arrested after police alleged they were involved in a series of robberies and burglaries across Atlanta. Police are saying that the most recent theft happened at an Atlanta coffee shop during what they are claiming was an armed robbery. While police allege that two teenagers robbed a coffee shop at gunpoint, officers freely admit that the arrest of a 25-year-old man was not related to the supposed coffee shop robbery.
According to the East Atlanta Patch, the robbery, which took place at 9:30 a.m., also involved the theft of a number of electronic devices owned by the patrons of the shop. Nobody was hurt in the supposed robbery and the investigation is still ongoing. The 25-year-old was allegedly found with some of the stolen goods, but was not suspected of having any part in the actual robbery. What is unclear, however, is whether the man actually knew that the electronic equipment he either received or purchased was stolen.
