If you have been arrested for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana in Forsyth County, Georgia, chances are your case will be heard in the Forsyth County Magistrate Court. Possession of marijuana can be a misdemeanor or felony under Georgia law. If you are found with less than an ounce, the case is usually prosecuted as a misdemeanor case. In Forsyth County, this means you will first appear in front of the magistrate court. You always have the right to a jury trial in the state (misdemeanor) or superior (felony) court, if you cannot resolve your case in magistrate court.
It is in your best interest to have an attorney hired well in advance of this first hearing in magistrate court. The presiding judge will want to know how you are pleading to the charge at your first hearing and whether or not you are prepared to go to trial. Giving your defense attorney ample time to gather evidence is crucial to your case and will help ensure your defense is ready before your case proceeds to trial.
If you are charged with possession in Forsyth County, give us a call today to discuss your best defense. Our office has handled hundreds of marijuana-related cases and we know Forsyth's system well. While every case depends on a number of factors: the circumstances of your arrest, your criminal history, etc., there are options available that could restore your clean record if the case is handled properly. If you have recently been arrested, make sure to document the events of the evening. Also, get a list of possible witnesses together and have these people at least write statements about what happened. After you have done these first steps, call us and let's begin work on your case.