Criminal law deals with cases where local, state or federal government seeks to punish someone for an act considered a crime. A criminal lawyer is required to represent someone who has been charged with a crime. A criminal charge can be levied on a person for either felonies or serious crimes like murder or rape, as well as misdemeanors like petty theft or jaywalking.

The process involved in charging a person with a crime and administering punishment is quite similar. An experienced lawyer will successfully deal with prosecutors in court and should be able to prove a client innocent.

In Atlanta, like all states, the Constitution provides criminal defendants with the right to an attorney, if the state is trying to deprive the defendant of his or her liberty. This means that the state has to appoint a lawyer for the defendant if one cannot afford a private lawyer.

Atlanta criminal lawyers should be familiar with all the legal provisions of the local, state and federal governments. The procedure for a criminal charge in Atlanta begins with an arrest or citation summarizing the reason for the arrest. Copies of these reports are sent to a prosecutor