Cumming · Forsyth County, Georgia
An arrest is not a conviction. Vic Wiegand has defended people in the Forsyth County courts since 1997, from first traffic citations to serious felony cases. His office is minutes from the courthouse where your case will be heard.
If you have been arrested in Cumming or anywhere in Forsyth County, the next few weeks will move faster than you expect. There will be a first appearance hearing, a bond decision, an arraignment, and a series of deadlines that are easy to miss when you have never been through this before. Some of those deadlines cannot be reopened once they pass.
The Law Office of Vic Wiegand is a criminal defense practice in Cumming, Georgia. One hundred percent of the practice is dedicated to litigation. That is the whole job here: defending people charged with crimes in Forsyth County and the surrounding North Georgia counties.
Criminal cases are decided by people, and in Forsyth County those people are a small and consistent group. The same judges, the same prosecutors, the same clerks and probation officers handle most of what moves through the Superior, State, Magistrate and Juvenile courts. An attorney who has appeared in front of them for nearly thirty years knows which arguments land, which cases are worth negotiating and which are worth trying, and how a particular courtroom actually runs.
Vic Wiegand was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1997 and has been a member of the Forsyth County Bar Association since 1998. He is a founding member of the Forsyth County Criminal Defense Bar. The office sits on Dahlonega Street, a short distance from the Forsyth County Courthouse.
That local knowledge is not a substitute for preparation, and it is not a promise about any outcome. It does mean you are not paying someone to learn the county on your case.
The practice covers the full range of criminal charges brought in Forsyth County, from misdemeanors that carry up to twelve months to felonies that carry years in prison.
DUI charges, license suspension and ALS hearings, under 21 DUI, CDL DUI, DUI with drugs, refusal and per se DUI, and BUI on Lake Lanier.
Drug offenses including simple possession, marijuana charges, possession with intent to distribute, trafficking, and drug conspiracy.
Domestic violence and battery family violence, battery, simple assault, and aggravated assault.
Robbery and armed robbery, manslaughter and vehicular homicide, and other violent felony charges brought in Superior Court.
Serious traffic charges, aggressive driving, hit and run, fleeing and attempting to elude, and racing.
Probation revocation hearings and juvenile defense in Forsyth County Juvenile Court.
A full list is on the practice areas page. If your charge is not listed, call and ask.
Most people call with the same question: what happens now. The general sequence looks like this.
You are taken to the Forsyth County Jail, booked, and held pending a first appearance. This is the point at which anything you say can be used later. You are allowed to say that you want a lawyer and then stop talking.
Georgia requires a first appearance within roughly 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, or 72 hours if you were arrested on a warrant. The judge advises you of the charges and addresses bond. We explain the whole hearing in this guide to Forsyth County first appearance hearings.
Some charges carry a bond a magistrate can set immediately. Others require a hearing in Superior Court. Getting this right early matters, because everything about defending a case is harder from inside the jail.
You are formally told what you are charged with and enter a plea. Certain motions have to be filed within a set window after arraignment or they are waived. See what to expect at a Georgia arraignment.
We request the state’s evidence: police reports, body camera and dash camera footage, lab results, calibration records, witness statements. This is where cases are usually won or lost. Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment can be suppressed and kept out entirely.
Depending on the facts, the right result may be a dismissal, a reduction, a First Offender plea, entry into one of Forsyth County’s accountability courts, or a jury trial. That decision is yours to make, with honest advice about what each path actually costs.
Forsyth County runs several treatment-based programs that can be a better outcome than a conviction and a sentence, particularly for repeat offenses or where addiction or mental health is the real driver of the case. They are demanding, they are not right for everyone, and they require an attorney who knows how to get a client considered.
A treatment-based alternative for repeat DUI offenders. How Forsyth County DUI Court works.
Structured supervision and treatment in place of incarceration. Understanding Forsyth County Drug Court.
Forsyth County’s mental health court. What the CARE Program offers.
More detail is on the attorney biography page, and you can read what former clients have said on the testimonials page.
A first offense is exactly when representation matters most, because it is the one point where options like a First Offender plea or a negotiated reduction are still on the table. A misdemeanor conviction in Georgia can follow you through background checks for the rest of your life. Employers, landlords and licensing boards all look.
Criminal defense is typically handled on a flat fee rather than an hourly rate, so you know the cost up front. The fee depends on the charge and whether the case is likely to be resolved by negotiation or taken to trial. The consultation is free, and you will get a straight answer about the fee before you commit to anything.
You are not required to, and it very rarely helps. Officers are permitted to tell you things that are not true during an interview. You can say clearly that you want a lawyer and that you are not answering questions, and then stop. That is not an admission of anything.
A straightforward misdemeanor may resolve in a few months. A felony in Superior Court, or any case taken to trial, can run a year or longer. Cases involving lab work, such as drug or DUI blood cases, often wait on the state crime lab.
Sometimes. Georgia has record restriction under O.C.G.A. 35-3-37 and sentencing under the First Offender Act, and which applies depends on the charge, the disposition and your history. We cover the details in this guide to record restriction in Georgia.
Your license. After a Georgia DUI arrest you have a limited window, generally 30 days, to request an administrative license suspension hearing or install an ignition interlock. Miss it and the suspension takes effect regardless of what happens with the criminal charge. See ALS hearings explained, and what a Georgia DUI actually costs.
Anything you were handed: the citation or accusation, bond paperwork, your next court date, and the arresting agency. If you do not have any of it, come anyway. Bring the date of arrest and we can find the rest.
The office is at 327 Dahlonega Street, Suite 1600, Cumming, Georgia 30040, a short distance from the Forsyth County Courthouse.
We represent clients throughout Cumming and Forsyth County, and in the surrounding North Georgia counties including Dawson County (Dawsonville), Lumpkin County (Dahlonega), Hall County (Gainesville) and the north metro area.
The consultation is free and confidential. You will speak with an attorney who has handled cases in these courtrooms since 1997, and you will get an honest read on what you are facing rather than a sales pitch.
Call (770) 886-4646
