Home / Criminal Defense
Criminal Defense
When the charge is serious, the lawyer's trial record is the first thing that matters. Mitch Skandalakis has tried criminal cases in Georgia courtrooms since the 1980s, and every case he takes is prepared to be tried to a jury.
Where are you in this?
Start where you are.
- It just happenedDecisions about statements, bond, and evidence are being made right now, with or without you. Call before you talk to anyone.
- Someone is in custodyFirst appearance and bond come within days of arrest, and the argument made there follows the case.
- Under investigation, not chargedNo charge yet means options. This is the stage where a defense is shaped, before an indictment narrows it.
- Already chargedA pending charge does not wait while you decide. Hearings get set, witnesses get interviewed, and offers expire.
The Defense
The prosecution starts building its case before you are charged.
By the time you are arrested or receive a target letter, investigators have usually been working for weeks. Early representation changes what happens next: whether you give a statement, how bond is argued, what evidence is preserved, and whether charges are reduced or never filed. If you are under investigation but not yet charged, that is the stage where a defense gets shaped. Once an indictment is returned, the options narrow.
Mitch reviews the State's evidence the way a trial lawyer does, looking for the suppression issue, the weak witness, and the gap in the timeline that turns a plea offer into a dismissal or an acquittal. The judges and prosecutors in these courtrooms have seen him in trial, and that standing is part of what you hire. Matters that could touch a reputation or a career are handled with discretion from the first call.
What we handle
Serious charges, handled seriously.
- Murder & HomicideMalice murder, felony murder, and manslaughter cases, prepared for a jury from the first day.
- RICO & RacketeeringGeorgia and federal RICO indictments, where role definition early changes everything.
- Federal CrimesTarget letters, grand jury subpoenas, and indictments in federal court.
- White Collar & FraudFraud, theft by taking, and embezzlement, handled with discretion for professionals and owners.
- Drug TraffickingWeight-based trafficking charges that carry mandatory minimum sentences.
- Sex CrimesAllegations where the accusation alone can upend a life before any trial.
- DUI DefenseTwo cases on two clocks: the criminal charge and the 30-day fight for your license.
- Probation ViolationsRevocation hearings where your liberty is at stake on a lower burden of proof.
- Pre-Charge InvestigationsRepresentation before an arrest or indictment, when it can still change the charging decision.
What to expect
How a Georgia criminal case moves.
- Arrest and first appearanceWithin days of an arrest, a judge addresses the charge and bond. The argument made at that first hearing follows the case.
- Accusation or indictmentFelonies are typically presented to a grand jury, and months can pass first. That quiet stretch is working time for the defense, or it is wasted.
- MotionsSuppression and evidentiary motions decide many serious cases before a jury is ever seated.
- Resolution or trialMost cases resolve short of trial. The resolutions worth taking go to clients whose lawyers the State knows will try the case.
DUI Defense
A Georgia DUI is two cases on two clocks.
A DUI arrest starts the criminal charge and a separate fight over your driver's license. After an arrest, you generally have 30 days to request an administrative license hearing or take another available option to protect your driving privilege, and that process runs separately from the criminal case.
On the criminal side, DUI cases turn on details: the basis for the stop, how field sobriety tests were administered, whether the implied consent notice was read correctly, and how the breath or blood test was handled. Each one is a point of attack. We handle first and repeat offenses, refusal cases, drug DUI, underage and CDL drivers, and the license hearings that come with all of them.
Lead Trial Attorney
Mitch Skandalakis
Mitch has spent four decades trying, investigating, and resolving cases in Georgia courtrooms, on both sides of the aisle. He began his career defending claims for a major insurance carrier, served as a prosecutor, and has led his own trial practice ever since.
When Atlanta newsrooms need a legal story explained, they call him. WSB-TV Channel 2 and FOX 5 Atlanta have both put him on the air. See recent appearances.
Questions
Asked at almost every consultation.
How is a criminal defense fee structured?
Most criminal matters are handled on a flat fee quoted in writing before we begin, based on the charge, the court, and whether the case is likely to be tried. You will know the cost up front.
Can the charges be dismissed or reduced?
Sometimes, and the odds improve when counsel is involved early, before statements, testing, and charging decisions harden. No lawyer can promise an outcome. What we commit to is the work, and a candid assessment at every stage.
Do you handle cases outside Cherokee County?
Yes. Mitch appears in courts across Georgia, including Cherokee, Cobb, Fulton, Forsyth, and Bartow counties.
Should I talk to the police if I did nothing wrong?
Speak with a lawyer first. Innocent people are charged on the strength of their own statements more often than most people expect.
Contact
Talk to a trial lawyer today
Tell us what happened, or what you think is coming. We will tell you where you stand and what to do next.
Canton Office
101 Woodland Way, Suite 1C
Canton, GA 30114
Phone: (770) 693-8715
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Florida office, by appointment:
1831 NW 33rd Street
Oakland Park, FL 33309
Request a consultation
Confidential. No obligation. We respond during business hours, usually the same day.
Criminal consultations are confidential, whether or not you hire the firm. Prefer the phone? Call (770) 693-8715.