What pretrial diversion or drug court programs exist in Georgia?
Georgia centralizes its specialty courts under the Council of Accountability Court Judges.
1. Pretrial Intervention / Diversion (DA-Run). O.C.G.A. § 15-18-80 authorizes each judicial circuit's DA to operate pretrial intervention programs. Fees up to $1,000 under § 15-18-80(d). Completion = dismissal.
2. Statutory Deferred Adjudication / Judicial Diversion. O.C.G.A. § 16-13-2 (Conditional Discharge) allows first-time drug-possession offenders to be placed on probation without entry of judgment; successful completion = dismissal. O.C.G.A. § 17-10-1(a)(2) allows alternatives to incarceration.
3. Accountability Courts (Drug Court). O.C.G.A. § 15-1-15 establishes accountability courts; § 15-1-16 governs DUI courts; § 15-1-17 mental health courts; § 15-1-18 juvenile mental health; § 15-1-19 veterans courts. Standards set by Council of Accountability Court Judges.
4. Veterans Treatment Court. O.C.G.A. § 15-1-19; statewide network.
5. Mental Health Court. O.C.G.A. § 15-1-17.
6. DUI Court. O.C.G.A. § 15-1-16; coordinates with ignition interlock under § 42-8-111.
7. Youthful Offender / First Offender. O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 (First Offender Act) allows discharge without adjudication; § 17-10-19 governs alternative sentencing for under-25 offenders.
8. First-Time-Offender Statute. First Offender Act § 42-8-60 results in no conviction record if probation completed; record can be restricted under § 35-3-37. Conditional Discharge under § 16-13-2 likewise.
9. Effects. First-offender and conditional-discharge completions = no conviction; record restriction available. Federal databases not erased.
10. Federal Pretrial Diversion. 18 U.S.C. § 3154; NDGA, MDGA, SDGA operate small PTD programs.
This is legal information, not legal advice.
- You are a first-time defendant and need to negotiate First Offender Act treatment under § 42-8-60
- You face a drug possession charge and want conditional discharge under § 16-13-2
- You need entry into an accountability court but the DA opposes
- O.C.G.A. § 15-18-80
- O.C.G.A. § 16-13-2
- O.C.G.A. § 15-1-15
- O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.