Death Penalty Cases in Marietta

Marietta Death Penalty Defense Attorney

When it comes to certain criminal offenses, there is really only one just form of punishment, and that is death. However, no one should ever rush to end a person's life. If you have been charged with a crime punishable by death in the state of Georgia, hire a Marietta criminal defense lawyer immediately and fight for a reduction or dismissal of your charges. Georgia reserves the death penalty as a punishment for murder or in cases of kidnapping with bodily injury where a death resulted.

Understanding Georgia's Capital Offenses

Murder itself can come in a vast variety of forms, such as rape, mass murder, murder of a peace officer, etc. Armed robbery is defined as the forcible taking of goods from another person for one's own personal gain. A person is guilty of aggravated kidnapping when they kidnap someone and hold them for ransom, or if the kidnapped person suffers injury or death. To hijack a plane means to take control of the craft through force or intimidation. This act is often coupled with treason, which occurs when a person attacks their own country or government.

If you would like to learn more about the death penalty, check out the Death Penalty Information Center and the American Civil Liberties Union. While all criminal charges are serious, when your life is on the line, you cannot afford to secure less than aggressive legal representation. The Merchant Law Firm genuinely cares about the rights and best interests of its clients, their happiness, reputation and freedom are the reasons why we do what we do. We will not stand by and watch an innocent life suffer.

According to Amnestyusa.org:

• Sometimes the death penalty is biased- since 1977, the overwhelming majority of death row defendants (77%) have been executed for killing white victims
• Sometimes the death penalty results in the deaths of innocent individuals- while since 1973, 140 individuals have been released from death row due to evidence that they were wrongfully convicted, more than 1,200 people were still executed
• Local politics, the location of the crime, plea bargaining and pure chance affect the process- since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, 82% of all executions have taken place in the South
• Twenty-eight foreign nationals were executed in the U.S. since 1988, virtually none had been advised of their right to communicate with consular representatives
• More than half of the U.S. public now prefers alternatives over the death penalty as the best punishment for the crime of murder
• Often an individual is wrongfully convicted and put on death row, due to inadequate legal representation, police and prosecutorial misconduct, perjured testimony and mistaken eyewitness testimony, racial prejudice, jailhouse "snitch" testimony, suppression and misrepresentation of the facts and community and political pressure to solve a case

Our firm will not allow you to be wrongfully sentenced to the death penalty. We will leave no stone uncovered as we seek to find out the truth about the details surrounding your case. Every person is innocent until proven guilty and everyone deserves the right to legal representation.

Pursuing Appeals in Marietta, Georgia

If you have a loved one who has been wrongfully convicted of an offense punishable by the death penalty, you still have the right to appeal the decision. The legal system is not infallible and wrongful arrests and convictions can, and do, happen. The American judicial system accepts this fact and allows defendants to appeal any decisions reached during their case, or to challenge any errors that were made during the course of their trial.

The appeals process can be complex and is full of procedures not used in typical criminal court settings. As such, securing the representation of skilled, resourceful and experienced Marietta criminal defense attorneys from The Merchant Law Firm can provide you with a chance to challenge any mistakes, testimonies or decisions reached during your case. Passionate about the rights of the wrongfully accused, our legal team can assist you and your family in appealing your case.

Contact a Marietta criminal defense lawyer today!

If you have been accused of committing a capital offense, call The Merchant Law Firm immediately. The sooner you retain an experienced and aggressive attorney from our firm, the sooner we can begin building your defense and fighting for your freedom and your life. We care for our clients, and we will stick by your side through this frightening and stressful time in your life.

As an Avvo®-rated criminal defense firm that has been featured in Georgia Trend's Legal Elite, you can rest assured we have the knowledge and the skill to defend you and provide the best possible results.