FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

No. Your case is assigned to a judge, which typically determines which attorney will oversee your case.

In Hall County, the office of the public defender only represents clients in Superior Court charged with felonies. Hall County State Court provides indigent defendants with court-appointed attorneys not affiliated with the office of the public defender. Applicants for State Court-appointed lawyers must apply through the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Indigent Defense Office. In Dawson County, the public defender’s office represents indigent defendants in misdemeanor and felony cases.

The office of the public defender only provides representation for criminal cases. In Juvenile Deprivation cases, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Indigent Defense Office provides appointed counsel. The Family Law Information Center located at the Hall County Courthouse provides assistance in divorces for both Hall and Dawson residents and the Georgia Legal Services Program in Gainesville provides counsel in other civil matters.

Absolutely. The attorneys in the office of the public defender’s office are all licensed by the State Bar of Georgia and hold law degrees from some of the more rigorous and demanding law schools in the country. Our lawyers have extensive trial experience, with several having received statewide recognition for their work. The office of the public defender for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit has a reputation for attracting highly skilled lawyers and is selective in its hiring practices.

All potential clients in Hall County must apply in person for a public defender through the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Indigent Defense Office, located at the Hall County Courthouse. Phone (770) 531-7087. Clients must meet certain poverty guidelines to qualify. In Dawson County, the Dawson County Public Defender’s Office at the Dawson County Courthouse takes applications for potential clients.

Some cases can be resolved in a short time, but in other instances they may take longer to reach conclusion than our clients would prefer. Please keep in mind there are thousands of criminal cases on the dockets of the Superior Court. Your attorney or your attorney’s investigator will contact you by phone or mail whenever there is new information about court appearances, plea offers or a possible trial.

In some instances, alternative sentencing options such as residential substance abuse treatment, mental health care, etc., is appropriate and can be agreed upon by the parties in your case. It is by no means a guarantee, however. Each case must be evaluated based on the state’s evidence, the client’s past history, and the likelihood of success with an alternative sentence.

This office does not provide mathematical odds at your chances of prevailing in a case, nor does it make promises or guarantees that a case will turn out a certain way. The only promise is to zealously and ethically represent you to the fullest extent.