Atlanta Mother Charged in Baby’s Death

Gilmer County Courthouse

Atlanta, Ga. - Reports out of the City of Atlanta show that a woman has been charged after being accused of concealing the death of her infant.

The baby was discovered in a home in May after police received a call that there was a dead body in an apartment off of Gun Club Road. As of now, no other details have been released regarding how the baby died. The mother of the child was initially charged with making false statements to police officers but the charges have been changed resulting from the investigation.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the law behind the offense of concealing a death in the state of Georgia.

Concealing a Death in Georgia

Georgia Code defines concealing a death in Georgia in O.C.G.A. §16-10-31 as:

A person who, by concealing the death of any other person, hinders a discovery of whether or not such person was unlawfully killed is guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years, a fine of not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or both.

People often believe that if they didn't do anything to conceal the body, then they are not guilty of a crime. However, not communicating with authorities and informing them of death is still enough to be convicted of concealing a body.

If convicted of concealing a death in Georgia, then a person is guilty of a felony offense. Georgia felony penalties are far-reaching, and for this particular crime, an individual is facing up to ten years in prison as well as fines up to $5,000.

Practice Note

Call our offices today if you or someone you know is facing charges in the state of Georgia. We handle everything from misdemeanor cases to felony cases. This includes everything in between. Call us now.