In the State of Georgia, crimes are classified as either felonies or misdemeanors. Felony offenses are deemed to be more serious and the penalties for such offenses are usually more severe. Felony offenses are crimes that are punishable by a prison term of one year or more.

An individual convicted of a felony may also be subject to substantial fines. Therefore, it is critical that you contact an experienced and knowledgeable defense attorney to protect your legal rights and provide a strong defense to any felony charges.

There are many offenses that are classified as felonies. Felonies include, but are not limited to:

Aggravated Assault: OCGA 16-5-21 provides that a “person commits Aggravated Assault when with the intent to murder, rape or rob, with a deadly weapon or any object, device or instrument which, when used offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in serious bodily injury, or without a legal justification, discharges a firearm from within a motor vehicle towards another.” The penalty for Aggravated Assault is anywhere from 1 to 20 years. However, there are circumstances that will increase the potential sentencing in an Aggravated Assault conviction.

Forgery: Forgery is when a person with intent to defraud or deceive, knowingly makes, alters, or possesses any writing using a fictitious name or so that it looks as if it was written by another. Forgery also includes making, altering, possessing, uttering, or delivering a check in a fictitious name or in such a manner that the check as made or altered purports to have been made by another person, at another time, with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority.
The penalties for Forgery are determined by what degree the offense is classified as. If the forgery is classified as a felony, the penalties range from 1 to 15 years. However, forgery in the fourth degree is classified as a misdemeanor and thus misdemeanor penalties.

Kidnapping: Kidnapping is the abducting or stealing away of another person without lawful authority or holds a person against his or her will. The penalties for Kidnapping are imprisonment for 10 to 20 years. However, there are circumstances that will increase the potential sentencing in a kidnapping conviction.

Robbery: OCGA 16-8-40 provides that “A person commits the offense of robbery when, with intent to commit theft, he takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another: by force, by intimidation, by the use of threat or coercion, or by placing such person in fear of immediate serious bodily injury to himself or to another, or by sudden snatching.” The penalties for robbery are imprisonment for 1 to 20 years. However, there are circumstances that will increase the potential sentencing in a robbery conviction.

Murder: A person commits the offense of murder when they unlawfully and with malice aforethought cause the death of a human being. A person commits murder, when in the commission of a felony, they cause the death of another irrespective of malice. Murder is punishable by death, life in prison without parole, or by imprisonment for life.

Felonies are serious criminal charges and if charged with a felony, a person needs a defense attorney with knowledge and experience. A knowledgeable and prepared defense attorney should be able to expose weaknesses in a case and negotiate a lesser charge, reduced sentence, or even have the case dismissed. If you have been charged with any felony offense, contact Matthew S. Halley, Attorney at Law, for a free consultation. He will aggressively defend your rights in such crucial times.