If you are looking for an attorney experienced in defending juvenile crime charges, and deprivation/dependency cases, the Law Office of W. Charlton Allen can help.

Juvenile cases are very different from adult cases in state and federal court. The system is meant to provide minors with rehabilitation, confidentiality, and services rather than focus solely on punishment. Unfortunately, depending on the case itself or the minor's history of behavior, the court may impose very harsh penalties or may even try a minor as an adult, where he or she would face the same penalties as an adult in a similar situation.In Dependency matters, the minor can end up in foster care.  When a minor is arrested or accused of a criminal offense, he or she has the right to legal counsel.  Parents and minor children have the right to legal counsel in a dependency matter.

 We  work to protect the minor's rights and we fight to help him or her avoid a conviction and serious penalties.

Typical Cases

• Theft / Larceny
• Shoplifting
• Stealing a bicycle 
• Stealing from backpacks or lockers
• Vandalism
• Tagging and Graffiti
• Drawing on Public Walls
• Keying a Car and Cutting Auto Tires
• Alcohol Offenses
• Underage Purchase or Possession
• Underage Consumption of Alcohol
• Providing Alcohol to Underage Persons
• Possessing an Open Container in Public/Car
• Disorderly Conduct
• Fighting in a Public Place
• Cursing at a Teacher
• Flashing, Mooning and Indecent Exposure
• Simple Assault or Battery
• Physical Bullying leading to Assault
• Child/Parent Physical Disagreements
• Shoving or Pushing a Person
• Possession 
• Possessing Small Amounts of Marijuana
• Smoking Marijuana in a Public Place
• Tobacco Offenses
• Illegally Purchase Tobacco
• Chewing or Smoking Tobacco at School 
• Providing or Enabling Youth to Use Tobacco
• Curfew Violations
  • Sneaking Out of Home After Curfew
  • Walking Home After Curfew
  • Violating a Park Curfew
• School Disciplinary Offense
• Disrupting Class
• Food Fights and Cheating
• Violating the Dress Code
• Traffic Violations
• Speeding or Failing to Yield 
• Not Wearing a Seat Belt
• Texting
• Truancy 
• Cutting Class
• Excessive Tardies
• Violating a Court Order to Attend School
• Criminal Trespass
• Entering a Vacant Building
• Entering Property or Dwelling Without Permission
• Returning to a Store After Being Banned
• Criminal Nuisance / Mischief 
• Damaging a Mailbox
• Egging or Toilet-papering a home
• Picking Flowers in a Restricted or Private Area
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of a Pipe with Resin
• Using Drug Paraphernalia to Use Controlled Substance 
• Harassment
• Bullying
• Continued Unwanted Contact With Another Person
• Insulting or Taunting Another Person to Provoke a Disorderly Response 
• Fraud
• Writing Bad Checks
• Impersonating Another
• Committing Fraud Via Electronic Communication
• Burglary
• Enter Friends or Relatives Homes to Steel Something 
• Entering a School to Steal Something 
• Entering a Home, School, Business to Steal or Cause Damage
• False Reporting
• Pulling a Fire Alarm
• Calling in False 911 Calls
• Calling in a Bomb Threat
• Loitering 
• Hanging Out in a Group in Front of a Building
• Smoking in Groups on the Street Corner
• Being in a Park or Store After Closing
• Possession of Stolen Property
• Having a Stolen Bicycle in possession
• Receiving Stolen Goods from a Friend
• Being in the Company of Someone Who is Stealing 
• Possession of a Weapon
• Unlawfully Possessing Pepper Spray 
• Possessing a BB or Pellet Gun While Underage
• Caring Weapons like Metal Knuckles, Nunchucks, Knives, or Guns
• Reckless Endangerment 
• Throwing Object at Cars
• Hanging on to a Moving Car
• Speeding Out of a Parking Lot
• Resisting an Officer without Violence
• Lying to a Police Officer, including one's Age
• Running Away from Law Enforcement
• Refusing to Move When Ordered by an Officer
• Runaways
• Running Away from a Parents House
• Going to another City/State when Forbidden by a Parent
• Staying at a Friends or Families House without the Parent Permission
• Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
• Driving Without a License 
• Unlawfully Using All-Terrain Vehicles
• Taking Parents or Friends Car without Permission

At the Law Office of W. Charlton Allen, we also focus on protecting your son or daughter's juvenile record. Under some circumstances, we may be able to keep a juvenile conviction off of your child's record. A criminal record can limit your child's future options for employment and education. A dependency case can lead to a permanent record for the family. It is important to hire an attorney to make sure the child's record is protected.We are discreet and creative. We will look at all possible options to get you the result you need. Contact us at 770-938-1770 to put our knowledge and experience to work for you.

Charlton Allen & Associates has experience in  the creation, implementation, governance and litigation regarding Community Improvement District (CID.)  We have worked with the Georgia General Assembly on legislation important to CID's.  We represent CID's in DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties, and interface with county and municipal governments on behalf of the CID's.

• I. Constitutional Basis
• II.Purposes 
• III.Local Legislation
• IV.Creation

1. Adoption of Resolution
2. Written Consent

• V.Administration 
• VI.Taxes 
• VII.Existing CIDs

• I.CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS

All Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) in Georgia are founded pursuant to Article IX, Section VII of the Georgia Constitution.  The constitutional amendment allowing this type entity was approved by the voters in 1984.

• II.PURPOSES

A CID may be created for one or more of the following governmental services and facilities:

1. Street and road construction and maintenance, including curbs, sidewalks, street lights, and devices to control the flow of traffic on streets and roads.
2. Parks and recreational areas and facilities.
3. Storm water and sewage collection and disposal systems.
4. Development, storage, treatment, purification and distribution of water.
5. Public transportation.
6. Terminal and dock facilities and parking facilities.
7. Such other services and facilities as may be provided for by general law.

• III.LOCAL LEGISLATION

Although the Constitution allows for CIDs, there must be local legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly permitting CIDs within a specified county or municipality, or both.  The first CID Act, the Cobb County Community Improvement Districts Act, was approved by the General Assembly in 1985.  Without local legislation, no CID may be established within a political subdivision of this state.

• IV.CREATION

CIDs are actually created through the enactment by a local government(s) of a resolution, coupled with the consent of the property owners.  The first Georgia CID, the Cumberland CID, was created in 1988.  The Georgia Constitution, Article IX, Section VII, Paragraph III(b), sets forth the following conditions precedent to the creation of a CID:

1. The adoption of a resolution consenting to the creation of the community improvement district by:
   1. The governing authority of the county if the community improvement district is located wholly within the unincorporated area of a county;
   2. The governing authority of the municipality if the community improvement district is located wholly within the incorporated area of a municipality; or
   3. The governing authorities of the county and the municipality if the community improvement district is located partially within the unincorporated area of a county and partially within the incorporated area of a municipality; and
2. Written consent to the creation of the community improvement district by:
   1. A majority of the owners of real property within the community improvement district which will be subject to taxes, fees and assessments levied by the administrative body of the community improvement district; and
   2. The owners of real property within the community improvement district which constitutes at least 75 percent by value of all real property within the community improvement district which will be subject to taxes, fees, and assessments levied by the administrative body of the community improvement district; and for this purpose value shall be determined by the most recent approved county ad valorem tax digest.

It is important to note here that owners of real property used residentially are not included in the aforementioned calculations.  Residential properties may be included within the geographical boundaries of a CID, but don’t count for or against the percentages needed for the formation of a CID, aren’t taxed by the CID, and aren’t eligible to participate in CID governance, such as in the election of Board members.As a practical matter, the impetus for creating CIDs comes from commercial property owners, not local government.  Property owners may feel as if their area’s governmental infrastructure or services are being sufficiently funded, and may seek to invest extra taxes to cause it to happen.  It is these private property interests who typically have organized committees, hired legal counsel and administrators, and solicited the requisite number of consents from their fellow commercial property owners.A threshold question in whether to go to the effort of soliciting the written consent of property owners to form a CID is directly related to the projected revenue to be generated by a CID tax.  Will it be enough to pay for administrative expenses and fund meaningful infrastructure and service improvements desired by the property owners?The actual geographical area which defines a CID has likewise typically been determined by the organizers.  A target area is identified and commercial property owners are asked to sign consent forms agreeing to their inclusion within the district.  As a critical mass is reached, the district shape is molded so that the consent of a majority of the owners representing at least 75% of the property value is achieved.The next step is certification by the County Tax Commissioner that the percentages of approval have been reached.  Next, the County Board of Commissioners and/or City Council must pass a resolution consenting to the creation of the district.

• V.ADMINISTRATION

A CID is administered by a Board of Directors.  The make-up of the Board is set forth in the local legislation allowing for CIDs within a jurisdiction.  There are elected board members, and appointed board members, in each district. The number of each varies as illustrated below:

• Cobb & Gwinnett County:
  • 6 elected by property owners
    1 appointed by County
    1 appointed by each municipality in the district

• Fulton County:
  • 5 elected by property owners
    2 appointed by County
    1 appointed by each municipality in the district

• Atlanta:
  • 6 elected by property owners
    1 appointed by Mayor
    1 appointed by Council President
    1 serves by virtue of being chair of City Council Finance Committee

• DeKalb County:
  • 5 elected by property owners
    2 appointed by County

Some board members are elected on ballots weighted by value of property interests, and some based upon one vote per owner, regardless of value.  Terms of office are also set by the legislation and the resolution creating the CID.

• VI.TAXES

The CID Board of Directors raises funds by setting an ad valorem millage rate on real property, specifically excluding property used residentially.  The constitutional upper limit is 2 ½ percent of the assessed value (which is 25 mills), but at least one local CID Act (Cobb County) has placed the ceiling at 5 mills.  The millage rate is placed upon the regular tax bills sent by the Tax Commissioner, who transmits the collected taxes to the CID Board to expend in accordance with the purposes of the District.

• VII.EXISTING CIDS

Almost all CIDs in existence are in the Atlanta area, although they may be created in other jurisdictions of the State if the local delegations pass local CID Acts in the General Assembly.  

Those created include:

• Cumberland (Cobb County)
  Town Center (Cobb County)
  Buckhead (Atlanta)
  Downtown (Atlanta)
  Midtown (Atlanta)
  South Fulton (Fulton County, Union City, Fairburn, & Palmetto)
  North Fulton (Fulton County, Alpharetta, Roswell, & Milton)
  Fulton Perimeter (Fulton County)
  Central Perimeter (DeKalb County)
  Evermore (Gwinnett County)
  Gwinnett Place (Gwinnett County)
  Gwinnett Village (Gwinnett County)
  Lilburn (Gwinnett County)
  Fulton Industrial (Fulton County)
  Town of Braselton (Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson Counties)
  Stone Mountain (DeKalb County)
  Tucker-Northlake (DeKalb County)
  Airport West CID (Fulton County, Atlanta, College Point, & East Point)
  Gateway Marietta CID (Marietta)
  Red Top CID (Bartow County, Emerson)
  East Metro CID (DeKalb County)
  Airport South CID (Clayton County & College Park)
  Sugarloaf CID (Gwinnett County)
  Georgia Gateway CID (Camden County)
  Canton Marketplace CID (Cherokee County)
  Little Five Points CID (DeKalb County)

The categories of CID projects which have been funded, and which are planned, vary from district to district, but include:

• Streets, roads, intersections, and traffic signalization
  Sidewalks and trails
  Bridges
  Public Safety
  Traffic Management Association
  Shuttle System and Transit
  Streetscapes and street lights
  Sanitation