Three Arrested for String of Car Break-ins in Habersham County

According to reports out of Habersham County, an adult and two juveniles are facing some serious charges including theft and gang activity in Georgia.

These charges result from a string of car break-ins and thefts in the surrounding area. Authorities are bring 90 juvenile complaints against the two minors and 45 warrants against the adult in the situation.

“It is of great concern to me that armed criminals with strong gang affiliations would be bold enough to travel from the Atlanta area to our county and other counties in this region to commit crimes,” Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said. “... That is why the Habersham County Sheriff's Office is taking a stand and charging these criminals with every possible violation of criminal law available.” 

In today's post, I am going to outline the offense of entering auto in the state of Georgia. The law is quite similar to the criminal offense that was focused on in yesterday's post - burglary in Georgia - except that it encompasses the unlawful entry of a person's vehicle.

Entering Auto in Georgia

Entering Auto in Georgia is defined by Georgia Law in O.C.G.A. § 16-8-18 as:

If any person shall enter any automobile or other motor vehicle with the intent to commit a theft or a felony, he shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for no less than one nor more than five years, or in the discretion of the trial judge, as for a misdemeanor.

The penalty for entering auto is a prison sentence for no less than one year and no more than five years and is deemed a felony. However, it is within the judge's discretion to treat the crime as a misdemeanor instead.

If you are found guilty of a misdemeanor instead of a felony, you may only have to pay a fine. But if you judge issues a felony conviction, the consequences may be years in prison. You could receive a prison sentence, a fine, or both if guilty of a felony.

Also, you may be ordered by the court to pay restitution. Restitution is when someone convicted of a crime must financially compensate a victim or the victim's family. The amount of compensation varies with each case and is set by the court. Your penalty for a conviction of entering auto could be a prison sentence, restitution, and a fine if they found it reasonable for your case.

Practice Note

As you can see from the law above entering auto is very similar to the offense of burglary. And both offense are taken quite seriously by law enforcement in the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one is facing serious charges, please contact our offices today. No one should attempt to defend themselves in a court of law, and a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyeris the best suited representation for any Georgia Criminal Case. Call now.