UGA Student Defense Lawyer in Athens, Georgia
Defense for UGA Students and Visitors to Athens
(706) 543-0002
Athens, Georgia UGA Student Defense Attorney
College Student or just visiting and had an unhappy encounter with law enforcement? We can help!
At Wiltshire Defense, we offer a nationally recognized reputation for excellence together with unique knowledge of and experience in the local court system.
We understand that you are not a criminal
even if you have been arrested. Our firm’s Athens Office is conveniently located near the University of Georgia campus and our lead partner for these type cases is the former Solicitor-General for Athens. He supervised the office in charge of prosecuting the very charges you are facing.
We are the only firm in North Georgia that can provide this unique type of experience and insider knowledge. Mo Wiltshire understands how to help and, as a parent, he cares about the issues facing our kids. Too many times promising kids from great families find themselves arrested for offenses that are not in keeping with their character or how they were raised. We can help make sure the court system sees your student as a person and not just an offender written up in an arrest report.
Whether you are facing an MIP alcohol charge, a DUI arrest or a False Identification/Fake ID charge, a Possession of Marijuana charge or some other charge we can help! We represent students from all walks of life and are organized and focused to help you navigate through the court system safely.
This is SEC Country and that means in southern college towns, such as Athens, underage drinking and specifically underage alcohol prohibition is a very common source of legal trouble. Georgia football Saturdays are very special occasions for fans, students and often for our local law enforcement. Extra police are in town on home game weekends and extra attention is being paid to visitors to campus and to downtown. Roadblocks, "safety checks" and specialized units from the Georgia State Patrol are common.
To be blunt, the authorities in Athens take a very hard stance in enforcing DUI, MIP and other alcohol related laws. You can be charged with MIP even if the police do not catch you with an alcoholic beverage….consumption of alcohol can be the basis of a citation and often times an arrest.
Please see the links below for more detailed information:
Defending Students, Helping Families, Protecting Futures
Call Mo Wiltshire Today for a Free Consultation.
(706) 543-0002As a student we need to focus on protecting your future and your academic prospects and that means keeping your record protected. Taking steps early on to investigate all your options will help maximize the chance that we can keep an arrest from causing long term problems as you move forward with your life. Many times talking to us can help you achieve a sense of calm overcoming a very tumultuous mental state following an arrest and the experience of going to jail, being processed and having to post bond.
A criminal conviction has a negative impact on anyone’s life. For university, college and graduate-school students, however, the consequences can be especially harsh. A criminal conviction on record puts a student at a disadvantage compared to his or her peers when seeking employment during and after college, or when seeking further postgraduate opportunities.
“…Mo Wiltshire is the one to call. He did not rush through the initial consultation and took the time to explain step by step what to expect and offered parent and student conference calls for those who do not live locally.” - Parents of a client
Every time we work with a college student and the family of the student in a criminal defense case, we focus on the goal of keeping our clients’ criminal record as blemish-free as possible. Our lead partner Mo Wiltshire is simply more experienced in this area than anyone in the Athens area. Mo is also rated as a “best” or “top” attorney in this field by AVVO.com, NACDA, NAFDD, NTLO, and other attorney rating services and organizations. You owe it to yourself to call and set up a time to speak to Mo Wiltshire.
Learn more about Mo and his unique background, skill set and experience here Attorney Profile-Mo Wiltshire
“…we had so much anxiety over this situation. We appreciate all that you and your firm did on our behalf, especially the many calls that you had to field from us as panicked parents.”
- Parents of a client
Out of State and out of Area Clients
At Wiltshire Defense, we understand the frustration of being arrested in a location in which you are not a resident. The inability to get answers over the phone and the expenses associated with appearing in person can be frightening. Confronting an unknown criminal system can be extremely difficult when you don’t have the ability to appear in person and almost impossible to resolve over the phone.
You probably don’t know any lawyers in the area and you may well be dealing with a situation involving your college-age child. We can help. We can answer your questions. Call Mo Wiltshire. He will be able to help you. You will feel better about your situation when you speak with Mo Wiltshire.
Given our breadth of experience and range of practice, we can provide help and comfort for you with these trying and troubling situations in ways that very few other law firms can hope to match. We have represented many out of state clients that have never had to make a court appearance following their arrest because we were able to handle everything for them.
Georgia law and local court rules allow for a client’s presence to be waived by an attorney in many cases. While not all judges and courts allow this waiver, at Wiltshire Defense our experience and local knowledge allow us to eliminate or minimize your required appearances.
We can minimize or eliminate the hassle and the expense of flying in from out of state. Nolo contendere, Plea in Absentia, stipulated disposition, dead docket, Pre-Trial Diversion Programs, Conditional Discharge and on and on. Which course is right for you? Which course is even available to you? Mo Wiltshire can deliver the answers you need so that you can face your situation with real comprehension understanding your options.
We are broadly experienced and highly regarded in the areas of the law that Students often encounter. Our lead defense partner, Mo Wiltshire, is recognized as a top attorney and has earned the rating “Superb” by AVVO.com the world’s largest online legal directory and rating service. Mo has also received many AVVO client’s choice awards as a result of feedback from very satisfied and happy clients.
Fake ID Charges in Athens, Ga
When you have been hit with a Fake I. D. False Identification or Fraudulent I.D. related arrest in Athens, Georgia, you need the right Athens, GA lawyer with the right kind of experience in the Fake I.D. case circumstances you are facing. Protecting your record for many reasons including education, employment and career options should be your principal focus. You need to discuss your situation with the former Athens Solicitor General, Mo Wiltshire. Mo has been on the other side of these cases and he understands what prosecutors consider in assessing what you do with these charges. Mo is the attorney in Athens, GA with the right kind of experience to protect you from long term consequences that can threaten your future.
Pre-Trial Diversion
A lot of Georgia Courts, including those in Athens-Clarke County offer Pre-trial Diversion Programs for fake ID charges that will allow us to resolve your charge without a criminal conviction and often times with an agreement in place to provide you a path to the restriction of your arrest record in the future.
Once accepted and entered into Pre-Trial, if you successfully complete the Pre-Trial Diversion Program, the charges against you will be dismissed. We have successfully negotiated an entry into the Pre-Trial Diversion Programs for many hundreds of good kids charged with minor offense that need to avoid a criminal conviction and a permanent criminal record.
Parents: We Have Answers and Can Help
When children are off to college we face concerns never before contemplated. Dealing with these concerns is difficult enough without a late night phone call from the Clarke County Jail. Unfortunately, the phone can ring with just such news. Parents with sons or daughters arrested for MIP, DUI or other charges need to understand they are not alone and that their dilemma is not unique. While you as parents have, hopefully, very limited experience with these situations Wiltshire Defense has vast experience in helping parents cope. We make it easy for parents to be involved in the process. We gladly invest the time to talk with you to be sure you understand all the options available and can help you chart your best route forward.
Our firm’s lead partner for these type cases is the former Solicitor-General for Athens. He supervised the office in charge of prosecuting the very charges you are facing. We are the only firm in North Georgia that can provide this unique type of experience and insider knowledge. Whether you are charged with an MIP offense or other Alcohol misdemeanor, marijuana possession, a DUI, a Fraudulent I.D. charge or a serious felony charge our experienced and caring staff members are here to help. We understand the law and the difficulties you face as a young person or student charged with a crime in Athens, GA. We are committed to help family and parents dealing with this type of very personal crisis.
Sometimes good people, even excellent students, find themselves in bad situations. We can help. When your future is threatened why wouldn’t you want your attorney in Athens, GA to be the former Athens prosecutor?
If you are wondering is it more likely my child will be arrested in Athens, Georgia than elsewhere the answer, sadly, is yes.
Nearly 1,000 minors are cited or arrested for alcohol possession or an alcohol related case of Fake ID, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, or some similar offense each year in Clarke County, often leaving them at risk of having criminal records. Many people are asking if Georgia’s youth are being unnecessarily stigmatized as criminals.
According to research by WSB-ATLANTA Under Age Alcohol is Punished More Harshly in Athens.
We make it easy for parents to be involved in the process. We gladly invest the time to talk with you to be sure you understand all the options available and can help you chart your best route forward.
You really should discuss your MIP or alcohol related case with the best attorney available in Athens, Georgia.
“…we had so much anxiety over this situation. We appreciate all that you and your firm did on our behalf, especially the many calls that you had to field from us as panicked parents.”
-Parents of a UGA Student
Wiltshire Defense
The Right Lawyer Can Make Justice Work for You.
"Reputation, Relationships, Results"
(706) 543 0002
We are ready to help you throughout Georgia including towns like Commerce, Jefferson, Ila, Homer, Nicholson, Arcade, Danielsville, Royston, Elberton, Athens, Hull, Toccoa, Gainesville, Bowman, Maysville, Center, Colbert, Winterville, Baldwin, Braselton, Clarkesville, Cornelia, Lavonia, Hartwell, Eatonton, Washington, Lexington, Milledgeville, Union Point, Siloam, Greensboro, Sparta, Winder, Winterville, Watkinsville and we cover many counties including Baldwin County, White County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Hall County, Banks County, Franklin County, Hart County, Jackson County, Madison County, Ebert County, Barrow County, Clarke County, Oglethorpe County, Oconee County, Putnam County and Greene County.
“The Code of Conduct has been developed by the Office of Student Conduct to provide students with expectations for behavior that upholds the principles outlined in the Pillars of the Arch. In addition to describing regulations for behavior, the Code of Conduct provides useful information to students and student organizations regarding alleged violations of conduct regulations. All procedures for responding to possible violations of conduct regulations, including specifics of the conduct process, a listing of possible sanctions, the interim suspension policy, and the appeals procedures are included in the Code of Conduct. These procedures have been established to ensure due process and fundamental fairness to all involved in the University’s judicial processes.”
“Individuals interested in submitting a report of potential Code of Conduct regulation violations should do so in writing. Reports not submitted in writing will be independently verified prior to beginning a conduct investigation. Reports should be submitted as soon as possible after the alleged violation. For individuals filing a report, a meeting can be arranged with a staff member in the Office of Student Conduct to discuss the conduct process. Reports should be submitted to Kara Fresk, Associate Director for Student Conduct, by calling 706-542-1131 or emailing kfresk@uga.edu. ”
Please read more here>Criminal Defense Athens
http://www.uhs.uga.edu/aod/policy.html
(UGA Alcohol Policy)
http://www.conduct.uga.edu/parents/AOD_sanctioning_chart.pdf
(UGA sanctions flow chart)
http://www.conduct.uga.edu/
(UGA Student Conduct home page)
http://www.conduct.uga.edu/parents/notification.html
(Parents info on UGA Student Conduct)
http://www.conduct.uga.edu/judiciary/index.html
(UGS Judiciary Procedure)
University Parent-Parent Resources