Written by Nick Kinsley, Esq. Thanks to House Bill 1405, Georgia’s zoning procedures law will look significantly different.  Local governments must pay attention to the language of House Bill 1405 and revise their procedures accordingly. Section 2 of the bill states that it becomes effective on July 1, 2022, with the caveat that no zoning or quasi-judicial zoning decision prior to July 1, 2023 shall be rendered invalid because of

Written by: Scott MacLatchie, Esq. In September 2019 Georgia’s LGRMS (Local Government Risk Management Services) sponsored a week of classes around the state designed to educate law enforcement officers and public officials about the rapidly growing “First Amendment Audit” movement and the tactics being employed by self-anointed “auditors.” Across Georgia—and across the country—local governments were finding themselves the target of these auditors and their cameras.  Some observers argued the

ATLANTA – March 15, 2022 – Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is delighted to add four new associates in its Atlanta headquarters office as the firm expands to better serve clients on medical malpractice, general liability and a wide range of other matters. Alex Kinzinger focuses her practice on health care and medical malpractice litigation defense. Before joining HBS, she was an associate at a firm near St. Louis

Written by: Rebekah Maddox Ditto, Esq. and Jennifer D. Herzog, Esq. Having the honor to represent numerous local law enforcement agencies we often get the question (usually in response to an open records request but sometimes as a result of a lack of space for storage), "How long do we have to keep this?" The good news is – there is an answer! The bad news is - there

Written by: Pearson Cunningham, Esq. On October 18, 2021, the Supreme Court summarily reversed the Ninth Circuit’s denial of qualified immunity to a Union City, California police officer in Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna. Many commentators and critics of the qualified immunity defense were a bit surprised. Just last fall, the Court seemed to signal that its appetite for policing the lower courts over erroneous denials of qualified immunity might be

ATLANTA – November 18, 2021 – Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is delighted to add twelve (12) new associates in its Atlanta headquarters office as the firm expands to better serve clients on medical malpractice, transportation, liability and a wide range of other matters. Fanny Chac focuses her practice on medical malpractice, products liability, and general liability litigation. Previously, she worked as a summer associate at HBS. Fanny earned

Written by: Jennifer Dorminey Herzog, Esq. This piece was published in the Fall 2021 edition of Georgia County Government Magazine. I was born and raised in Tift County and after law school returned to my hometown where I am now employed as a partner and shareholder at Hall Booth Smith PC. I focus my practice in government liability and have the honor to serve as county attorney for Berrien County. Daily,

Written by: Phillip E. Friduss, Esq.  Getting hit by a bullet but still escaping in the getaway car implicates the Fourth Amendment after all sayeth Chief Justice Roberts in a heated 5-3 Opinion along ideological lines.  Justice Amy Coney Barrett took no part in the case, which was argued in October before she took her seat. Below you will find links to both the Majority and Dissenting Opinions, as well

ATLANTA – November 6, 2020 – Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) has named six new partners as the firm elevates leaders and recognizes their outstanding service to clients. Joining the firm's partnership ranks are Abe Varner, J. Felicia LeRay, and Paul Trainor in Atlanta; Hank Pittman and J.D. Dean in Tifton; and Spencer Craig Gill in Charleston. Abe Varner's practice focuses on the defense of large hospital systems and healthcare

Written by: Phillip E. Friduss, Esq. This past Monday, in a per curiam decision (Justice Barrett not participating; Justice Alito concurring to suggest cert should not have been granted, but otherwise concurring with the judgment; and, Justice Thomas, dissenting without written opinion) the Supreme Court reversed and remanded a Fifth Circuit conditions of confinement qualified immunity grant of summary judgment. Taylor v. Rijas,.  Docket No. 19-1261. Short on analysis,