Courts
The Federal Law Group has experience in all Metro-Atlanta courts, and has cultivated an unparalleled reputation for professionalism, ethics, and a no-nonsense approach to defending our clients. Our solid reputation and good working relationships with prosecutors in every county and court ensures that you will reap the rewards of having the best criminal defense attorney working your case.
The Atlanta-Metro area is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the United States and consists of 28 counties in Georgia. The attorneys at The Federal Law Group regularly practice throughout the Metro-Atlanta area, including Cherokee County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Douglas County, Forsyth County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Henry County, and Paulding County, and the cities of Alpharetta, Canton, Decatur, Douglasville, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Roswell, and Sandy Springs.
The majority of criminal proceedings in the Northern District of Georgia are handled in the Richard B. Russell Building on Spring Street in Downtown Atlanta. The Federal Magistrate Court and District Court are located in this building, as well as U.S. Probation, U.S. Marshals, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Northern District also has divisions in Rome, Newnan, and Gainesville. The hub of the Middle District of Georgia is the Federal Courthouse in Downtown Macon, with divisions in Albany, Athens, Columbus, and Valdosta. Every appeal from the federal districts in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida is heard in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, located in Downtown Atlanta on Forsyth Street.
The city of Marietta, Georgia is located 15 miles northwest of Atlanta and serves as the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia. Cobb County Magistrate Court, Cobb County State Court, and Cobb County Superior Court are located just off the Marietta Square, along with the Cobb County District Attorney's Office and the Cobb County Solicitor General's Office.
Roswell is a city located in North Fulton County. Because Fulton County is so large, Roswell Municipal Court traditionally handles all misdemeanor and DUI cases originating in Roswell, unless a trial is desired, at which time the case is "bound over" to the Fulton County State Court. Roswell Municipal Court is located off the Roswell Square on Hill Street.
Alpharetta is also located in North Fulton County, north of Roswell, and is similar to Roswell in respect to the Municipal Court System: all misdemeanor and DUI cases originating in Alpharetta are handled in the Alpharetta Municipal Court. The Alpharetta Municipal Court is located in the Crabapple area on Broadwell Road.
Sandy Springs is a newly incorporated city, as of December 2005, and is located in North Fulton County, Georgia, just south of Roswell. All misdemeanor and DUI cases originating in Sandy Springs are handled in the Sandy Springs Municipal Court, which is located on Roswell Road.
Nestled between Atlanta and Stone Mountain, Decatur is the county seat of DeKalb County. The city of Decatur offers a Municipal Court for first offenses, preliminary hearings and some misdemeanor hearings. All other actions are brought in the DeKalb County Magistrate Court, DeKalb County State Court, DeKalb County Superior Court and the DeKalb County Recorders’ Court. Although the above-listed courts are located in different buildings, all are located in city of Decatur. DeKalb also offers a Diversion Treatment Court for individuals with serious mental illness, and is one of the few counties that has a felony pre-trial diversion program.
As the county seat of Forsyth County, Cumming is just 18 miles northeast of Roswell. Both Forsyth County State Court and Forsyth County Superior Court are located at 100 Courthouse square. Criminal matters handled in Forsyth County Magistrate Court, including preliminary hearings and some misdemeanors, are held at the Tribble Gap Road location.
Officially recognized as a city in 1875, the city of Douglasville is located 20 miles west of Atlanta. The Douglas County Judicial District is found on Hospital Drive in Douglasville. All of the various Douglas County courts are clustered in the Judicial District, including Douglas County Magistrate Court, which handles only bond and preliminary hearings, Douglas County State Court and Douglas County Superior Court.
At a distance of 34 miles north of Atlanta, Canton is home to the Cherokee County Courts. The New Justice Center on North Street is home to Cherokee County Magistrate Court, Cherokee County State Court and Cherokee County Superior Court. The Magistrate Court handles bad checks and preliminary hearings; the Cherokee County State Court handles misdemeanors and traffic offenses; and, the Cherokee County Superior Court handles all felonies.
The city of Dallas is the county seat of Paulding County, Georgia. From Marietta, Dallas is 16 miles to the west. Paulding County is unique in that the County offers only a Probate Court and a Superior Court. Most criminal matters are heard in the Paulding County Superior Court, which handles most misdemeanors and all felonies, while the Paulding County Probate Court hears DUI, traffic violations and some misdemeanors.
Dubbed the "Crepe Myrtle City", the county seat of Gwinnett County is 21 miles east of Roswell. All County courts are located in the Criminal Justice Center at 75 Langley Drive. The Gwinnet County Recorder’s Court handles traffic and animal citations; the Gwinnett County Magistrate Court deals with warrants, bad check citation, and shoplifting citations; the Gwinnett County State Court sees misdemeanor charges and DUIs; and the Gwinnet County Superior Court has jurisdiction over all felony charges.
The Superior Court of Fulton County is Georgia's busiest trial court of general jurisdiction, hearing all felony cases arising in the county. The State Court tries all criminal cases below the grade of felony. The Magistrate Court of Fulton County is a division of the State Court and has jurisdiction over traffic cases, ordinance and code violations, jail and warrant first-appearance proceedings, and warrant applications. All three of these courts are housed in the judicial complex located on Pryor Street and Central Avenue in Downtown Atlanta. Preliminary hearings are held in the Atlanta Municipal Court on Garnet Street. The Municipal Court also has jurisdiction over city ordinance violations and traffic offenses, including DUIs.
