Common Felony Charges in Georgia: Top Offenses and Legal Consequences
Georgia treats felonies as its most serious crimes, with penalties that can range from a few years in prison to life.
Understanding how the state actually classifies and punishes felonies helps you see what is at stake in a particular case.
How Georgia Sentences Felonies
Georgia does not sort felonies into numbered “degrees” the way some states do.
Instead, each felony statute sets its own punishment, usually as a range of years. The judge sentences within that range based on the facts of the case and the defendant's criminal history.
A felony in Georgia is any crime punishable by more than 12 months, and the most serious offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences.
For Georgia's most serious violent felonies, sometimes called the “seven deadly sins,” the law requires long mandatory minimum sentences.
Georgia also has recidivist and “two strikes” sentencing rules that sharply increase penalties for repeat serious felonies, in some cases up to life without parole.
Common Felony Offenses
Frequently charged felonies in Georgia include:
- Murder
- Rape
- Armed robbery
- Aggravated assault
- Kidnapping
- Burglary
- Drug trafficking
- Fraud
- Identity theft
Drug offenses involving larger quantities or trafficking amounts can carry especially serious penalties.
How a Felony Case Proceeds
A felony case in Georgia generally starts with an arrest and first appearance.
From there, the case can move through:
- Grand jury indictment
- Arraignment
- Pretrial motions
- Plea negotiations
- Trial
A defense lawyer can negotiate for reduced charges or push the case to trial, depending on the evidence.
Consequences and the Limits of Relief
Beyond prison and fines, a felony conviction can cost you the right to vote while serving your sentence, the right to possess a firearm, and the ability to serve on a jury or hold public office. Voting eligibility after sentence completion differs from restoration of jury, public office and firearm rights. Review the conviction, completed sentence and any restoration order under the rules for each right.
Georgia generally does not allow a felony conviction to be expunged. A pardon alone does not erase a conviction. Any separate restriction request has its own legal requirements.
First Offender treatment before conviction and a pardon after conviction have different requirements and effects from an eligible record restriction petition. Counsel can review the actual disposition and any available route.
Talk to a Cobb County Felony Lawyer
The stakes in a Georgia felony case are high enough that strategy from the start matters.
If you are facing a felony in Marietta or Cobb County, we can explain the specific charge you are up against and the realistic paths forward.
See Georgia Board guidance on pardons and restoration of rights for the scope of these separate processes.