Blawg of Attorney Christine M Bechtold

Much like the program offered in Gwinnett County in March 2011 bechtold-law.blogspot.com 2/28/11 , the City of Loganville’s traffic citation amnesty program begins August 1, 2011. Amnesty will be granted for persons having unpaid citations including contempt of court fees and failure to appear warrants. AJC 7/15/11 . This amnesty will allow citizens to clear their cases and, in some cases, even have their contempt of court fee waived. “Each case will be evaluated based on the offense and there will be some instances where some outstanding warrants will be cleared without an arrest.”  WaltonTribune 7/19/11 . Judge Brad Brownlow from the City of Loganville stated that “This will be their last opportunity to clear their cases without facing arrests and possible jail time.”  WaltonTribune 7/19/11 . If you have an outstanding traffic citation from the City of Loganville and you would like to take advantage of its amnesty program, contact the City of Loganville Municipal Court at 770.46

Walton County Sheriff’s Office recently found a large amount of illegal drugs in a vehicle on highway 78.  “The deputy stated the tint was so dark there no way to determine if the driver was wearing a seat belt, leading to the belief visibility was less than 32 percent. The deputy turned around and initiated a traffic stop west of Cheek Road. “ Walton Tribune 6/19/2011 . After the traffic stop, the Sheriff’s deputy reported a strong odor and that the driver was breathing heavily and shaking. The driver consented to a search of both his body and his vehicle, during which time the Sheriff’s deputy “reported a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the back of the vehicle. A search of the back of the vehicle revealed two suitcases secured by padlocks.” Walton Tribune 6/19/2011 . The driver then refused consent for the deputy to search the suitcases. However, the deputy obtained legal authority to search the suitcases when the vehicle was later towed to the Sheriff’s office. When the su

  “Attorney: a person who has been qualified by a state or federal court to provide legal services, including appearing in court. Each state has a bar examination which is a qualifying test to practice law.” http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=2464 An attorney will help you understand your legal rights and help solve your legal problem.   Attorneys give strategic advice, research legal issues, draft legal documents, and advocate on your behalf. Hiring an attorney is a valuable investment. In fact, hiring an attorney at the start of your legal issue could save you a lot of money by preventing future legal complications. Putting your legal problem in the hands of a trained legal professional will also help alleviate some of your stress. You should contact an attorney if:   you have legal questions that are not answered by do-it-yourself materials y our legal matter is complex you want a professional to review your legal documents you need advice or coaching to han

A police blotter is a written record of daily arrests in your area. Although you may be familiar with the blotter format, some of the terminology can be confusing. Georgia’s Criminal Code is defined in O.C.G.A. §§ 17-1-1 – 17-18-2. http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/gacode/ .  A brief explanation of common charges is listed below: ·          Criminal Trespass : intentionally damaging the property of another in the amount of $500 or less; or entering the property of another for an unlawful purpose or without their authorization ·          Theft : taking property from another without their consent o    by Taking: unlawfully taking the property of another o    by Deception: obtaining the property of another by misleading o    by Shoplifting: taking merchandise from a retail establishment o    by Receiving: receiving another person’s property when you know it was obtained in a criminal matter ·          Robbery : intent to commit theft in the presence of another by use of force, int

YES! It is important to monitor your online profile and activity in this modern age. More and more courts are allowing online activity to be discussed in court.   “There are strictly defined legal limits on what information can be lifted and what is in the private domain and can be obtained only through legal procedures like subpoenas, depositions and discovery.” NYT 5/13/11 . Many people do not set their privacy settings high which may make their online activity in the public domain and easily used against them in court.   Even if your settings are limited, it is important to re-evaluate your settings from time to time.   Maybe one of your 300 facebook friends is also facebook friends with your future ex-spouse and they post a picture of you doing something you would rather keep private and not discussed in open court.   In fact, “sixty-six percent of the attorneys surveyed by the AAML [American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers] called Facebook the unrivaled leader for online divo

Business or business casual attire is appropriate courtroom attire. Additionally, “in July 2009, the Georgia Judicial Council adopted a policy clarifying that religious headcoverings can be worn in Georgia courthouses.” AJC 5/5/11 . However, recently a judge did not allow a man to wear his religious headcovering repeatedly to a Henry County State Court. If you are in doubt about your clothing, consult the Court you will be attending to determine if they have any specific restrictions.  Perhaps more important than your clothing is the way you handle yourself while in Court.  We all need to treat the Court with seriousness and respect. Judges and others in the courtroom appreciate when courtroom decorum is respected. Be sure to turn your phone off, limit your conversations while in the courtroom, and when it is your turn in front of the judge speak clearly and concisely. If you have questions about courtroom decorum, call The Law Office of Christine M Bechtold, LLC at 770.466.2700 to s

Georgia’s State Legislature recently approved a new immigration bill ( HB 87 - Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 ) but it has yet to be signed into law by Governor Deal. AJC 4/15/11 . This new bill is similar to the much publicized Arizona immigration bill, with a few changes.  Similar to Arizona, the Georgia bill allows local law enforcement to demand documentation of residency. It also empowers police to detain people they reasonably suspect are here illegally. NYTtimes 4/16/11 . The Georgia bill also establishes an Immigration Enforcement Review Board to investigate complaints about those same enforcements.  Unlike the Arizona bill, the Georgia bill softens the requirements for the federal E-Verify program and requires the investigation into a State run guest worker program by the state Agriculture Department. Opponents to the bill state that it will lead to discrimination and harassment towards Georgia immigrants. Those in