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Murder & Homicide Defense
No charge carries higher stakes, and no case rewards preparation more. Mitch Skandalakis has defended serious felonies in Georgia courtrooms for four decades, and homicide cases are prepared for a jury from the first day.
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The State assembled its team before the arrest. The defense starts now.
By the time a murder arrest is made, detectives, crime scene units, and the medical examiner have been working for weeks. A defense that waits for discovery is already behind. We move immediately: preserving video and phone records, identifying witnesses before memories harden, and bringing in the right experts on forensics, cause of death, and scene reconstruction.
Georgia law separates malice murder, felony murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter, and the line between them is often the whole case. So is justification: Georgia’s self-defense law can be a complete defense when the evidence is developed properly and presented early.
Bond in a murder case can only be granted by a superior court judge, and the presentation made at that hearing shapes everything that follows. These cases are handled personally, and discreetly, by the firm’s lead trial lawyer.
Homicide cases we defend.
- Malice murderThe State’s most serious charge, defended with experts and preparation to match.
- Felony murderCases where the fight is over the underlying felony and who is actually responsible.
- Voluntary manslaughterProvocation and passion cases, where the difference is measured in decades.
- Involuntary manslaughterUnintended deaths charged as crimes.
- Vehicular homicideFatal collision cases built on reconstruction and toxicology.
- Self-defense casesJustification under Georgia law, developed from the evidence, not the headlines.
Before you call.
Is bond possible on a murder charge?
Only a superior court judge can set bail in a murder case, and it is never automatic. A prepared bond presentation, ties to the community, and a plan matter. We treat the bond hearing as the first battle of the case.
How are fees structured for a homicide case?
A written fee agreement before work begins, typically structured in phases: investigation and motions, then trial. You will know the cost of each phase up front.
How long will the case take?
Serious felony cases commonly run a year or more from arrest to resolution. That time is either working time for the defense or wasted. We use it.
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Criminal and civil matters go directly to Mitch Skandalakis. Prefer the phone? Call (770) 693-8715.