It's
been said once, twice and many times over: "One who is his own lawyer has
a fool for a client." However, no matter what the old adage says, every
American citizen not only has the right to be represented by counsel, but also
has the right to represent himself or herself in court. Otherwise, kn...
You've spent four days in county jail for public intoxication. It's a
minor, first-time offense for you. And, luckily, on your court date the
prosecutor is in a good mood and agrees to time served and a fine. You'll still
have to plead guilty and have a conviction on your record, but you're going
h...
We’ve all been pulled over by the police before—at
least most of us. If you haven’t then you are a unicorn! Such a traffic stop
usually involves an officer requesting to see your license and registration
before heading back to his or her police cruiser with your information in hand.
And, does...
To a prosecutor’s dismay, witnesses in a criminal
trial don’t always cooperative. A prosecutor’s worst nightmare—besides losing a
case—is when a witness for the prosecution takes the stand and surprisingly
testifies in favor of the defendant. It just doesn’t happen in the movies! It
doe...
A
friend of a friend once told you that he had faced criminal charges and jail
time but that the prosecutor nol prossed his case. He’s free, having fun and
living his best life! Now, due to an unfortunate family fight, you’ve been
arrested and charged with simple assault against a family member...
In the words of trial advocacy experts, Peter Murphy
and D. Barnard, “the rule against hearsay ranks as one of the law’s most
celebrated nightmares.” And, it’s true! Even for seasoned attorneys, mastering
the rule against hearsay and all of its’ exceptions is a difficult task. However,
we...
Many Americans equally love their pets as they do
their human children and animal abuse in their eyes is detestable and downright
unforgiveable. Currently, in the state of Georgia, animal cruelty is a
misdemeanor and the penalty could be a fine up to $1,000.00, up to one year in
jail or both. Any G...
A criminal trial can be broken down into six to seven
major categories, depending on the outcome—an acquittal (a not guilty verdict)
and conviction (a guilty verdict). The categories are: (1) jury selection; (2)
opening statements; (3) presentation of case/evidence; (4) closing statements;
(5) ju...
“I
plead the fifth.”
Whether in real-life legal proceedings or a Hollywood
blockbuster, we have all heard those four little words. Most people are fully
aware of their right not to incriminate themselves in a criminal trial. It’s a
protection guaranteed to us under the Fifth Amendment of t...
There are several different kinds of theft offenses under Georgia law and each has different elements that need to be proven by the State’s Attorney to get a conviction. Such offenses include: theft by shoplifting, theft of services, theft by conversion, theft by extortion and theft of lost or mi...
Immigration does not drive crime. Studies have shown that there is no correlation between immigrants and increased crime. In fact, studies have shown that crime has decreased as the nation’s immigration population has increased throughout the years. Despite such data, many immigrants do move thro...
Do you have a loved one who is incarcerated in Georgia? Is their jail sentence nearing an end? Are they being considered for parole? Maybe they have six months or so left to serve. If so, your loved one may be eligible for a work-release program, which is different than a prison work program. A wor...
There are different types of crimes such as felonies and misdemeanors. And, there are different classification of crimes such as: specific intent crimes, general intent crimes, malicious crimes and strict liability crimes. Malicious crimes include crimes such as arson and common law murder. Regulat...
“A defendant has a constitutional right to a fair hearing and reliable determination of the voluntariness of a confession, not influenced by its truth or falsity.” Jackson v. Denno, 378 U. S. 376-377 (1964).
FACTS OF THE CASE
In June of 1960, Nathan Jackson and Nora Elliot entered a Bro...
For most of us, when the “government” and “wiretapping” are mentioned in the same sentence, a couple of individual comes to mind—J. Edgar Hoover being one of them (Nixon, the other). We have all heard about “Hoover’s Secret Files” and numerous illegal microphones and wiretaps that H...
Remember your teenage and college days? The days when
you or your peers made downright stupid decisions and that—if caught—could have
landed you in handcuffs. I remember being in college and hanging out at the
local midnight diner. One night, a group of other college students were sitting
next ...
Generally, there are two types of evidence presented
during a trial—direct evidence and circumstantial evidence. Under the Rules of
Evidence, there is no legal distinction between the two. In the movies and in
real life, we have often heard defense attorneys attack their opponent’s case
by argu...
There is no doubt that opening and closing arguments are important stages of a jury trial.
But, it is the process of voir dire that gives an attorney the opportunity to
pull the truth out about a juror’s beliefs and biases. In fact, the phrase
“voir dire” derives from a Middle French oath mea...
“It
is impossible to be sure of anything but death and taxes.”
We have all heard this saying before. In fact, it was
first said during the dawn of the 18th century and is now a common idiom
in our English language. Here at Bixon Law, we have discovered another truism
in life—people fight,...
If you were arrested and
made bail but failed to appear in court, you could be facing a bail jumping
charge for violating the conditions of your bail. But, maybe you simply just
missed your court date or maybe your absence from court was due to
circumstances beyond your control. If you are question...
Michael Bixon is a life-long believer in making the best of any situation and looking forward to a bright future. He brings that same philosophy to his practice and focus in helping people facing insurmountable circumstances. For Michael, going out of his way for his clients, being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and ensuring they receive just representation is the only way to operate his practice.
In the wake of the novel Coronavirus of 2020, masks and discussions surrounding them have become an ever-present part of daily life. Their newfound significance to our society has pushed America to redefine the place of...
Although the fact that there are “open container” laws is fairly common knowledge, very few people know exactly what those laws are or the criteria for being charged with a violation. This may be because these laws ...
Many people might assume battery is just a physical altercation where somebody gets beat up. Common examples that come to mind may include a bar fight, domestic violence, or a fight at a sporting event. In the eyes ...
