Learn about our areas of experties involving state crimes, and better understand your rights.
Learn about our areas of experties involving state crimes, and better understand your rights.
If you are accused of a crime, the only thing standing between your freedom and a verdict of "guilty" is an experienced criminal defense attorney in Port Wentworth, GA.
Those who have been arrested before know that life in the legal system is no laughing matter. Aside from the imminent ramifications of fines and jail time, any goals you have of bettering yourself and advancing your life could be compromised. Without a trusted attorney by your side, you could face a lifetime of embarrassment and poor employment prospects due to a tarnished criminal record.
The good news? Dennis O'Brien and his team of experienced lawyers in Port Wentworth are ready to clear your name. By retaining the help of a criminal defense attorney early in the legal process, you have a much better chance of securing your freedom and living a life as a productive member of society.
At O'Brien Law Firm PC, our practice was founded to fight for the rights of individuals accused of or charged with a crime. Our team of legal experts is well-equipped to take even the most difficult, contentious cases. From violent felonies to DUI, there is nothing we haven't seen and handled. As a former law enforcement officer, founding attorney Dennis O'Brien knows exactly how much a person can lose if convicted. That's why we work tirelessly to secure a verdict that is favorable for our clients.
Regardless of how serious or minor your case may be, know that we will fight fearlessly on your behalf. You deserve zealous representation - when you hire O'Brien Law Firm PC, you will receive nothing less.
Many of our clients are surprised to discover that founding lawyer Dennis O'Brien was a police officer prior to his criminal defense career. As a former Field Training Officer for the Memphis Police Department, he has over two decades of knowledge and experience in the criminal justice system. Dennis truly understands the nuance and complexities involved in a criminal defense case. This rare experience gives Dennis a clear edge in any criminal defense case and gives clients priceless peace of mind when they need it the most. Unlike some criminal defense attorneys in Port Wentworth, Dennis O'Brien and his team believe that every client deserves effective, empathetic legal assistance. While some Port Wentworth criminal defense firms will take weekends off or pass along cases to paralegals, Dennis personally reviews each of his cases. There is no case too small or big for O'Brien Law Firm PC. When you hire our firm, you can rest easy knowing that we will be by your side when the going gets tough.
When you are charged with a drug crime in Port Wentworth, it can change your life forever. Georgia imposes very strict punishments for drug offenses. The truth is, it's hard to get your life back on track with a drug charge on your record. Your freedom and way of life could be in the hands of your criminal defense attorney. As such, you need a competent lawyer with years of experience handling drug cases. Leaving your fate in the hands of an incompetent attorney could have long-lasting effects on your family and may result in a conviction.
While the consequences for a drug crime in Georgia are serious, there's reason to be hopeful: O'Brien Law Firm PC is here to fight for you. Remember - being charged with a drug crime is NOT the same thing as being convicted.
Our stellar team has represented many clients facing numerous drug-related charges. While each situation varies, one constant remains the same for clients facing drug charges: a fear of what lies ahead. At O'Brien Law Firm PC our job is to help you overcome the fear of the unknown. We do so by ensuring you understand your charges, the possible outcomes associated with those charges, and the options you need to consider from a criminal defense standpoint.
No matter what charge you are facing, our team has the experience and resources to build a comprehensive defense strategy for your drug case in Port Wentworth, GA. Without a criminal defense attorney acting as your advocate, you could be facing very harsh penalties. Here are a few punishments you could be facing for drug crimes in Port Wentworth:
Having less than a gram (or one milliliter for liquids) of this type of drug results in a prison term of one to three years. Having four grams or milliliter carries a term of one to eight years.
Any substance on this list is punishable by a prison sentence of one to three years.
If you have less than two grams or milliliters of this substance, punishments can be between one year and three years. Having up to four grams or milliliters results in a prison sentence of one to eight years.
Those who are in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana are subject to a jail sentence of up to 12 months. Fines may be no more than $1,000. Possession of more than an ounce of marijuana can result in a prison term of one to 10 years.
To avoid these life-changing punishments, you must take action now. Contact O'Brien Law Firm today for a consultation about your case.
Contact Me!Violent crime offenses in Port Wentworth typically involve some form of bodily harm to another individual, actions committed against an individual's will, or threatening someone with bodily harm. Aggravated violent offenses are more severe charges and often occur when a violent crime is made more serious due to circumstances like deadly weapons.
Much like serious drug cases, violent crimes create an added layer of negativity that follows the accused for the rest of their life. In these cases, even an accusation is enough to cause irreparable damage to a person's reputation. Those convicted of a violent crime face severe penalties that can include years in a correctional facility.
When you are accused of any of the above crimes, your freedom hangs in the balance. The outcome of your case will determine whether you leave the courtroom with your freedom intact or stripped away to serve time behind bars. Because the punishments for violent crimes are so extreme, you should be seeking legal counsel from a criminal defense attorney in Port Wentworth, GA, as soon as possible. As a former police officer with a long record of positive verdicts in violent crime cases, Dennis O'Brien is well equipped to represent you in court.
Having a criminal defense lawyer by your side is the best way to avoid the serious punishments associated with violent crimes. These punishments usually result in prison time if convicted and include: | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Forced rape: | 20 years | |||
Armed robbery: | Up to 20 years | |||
Simple assault: | Up to 12 months | |||
Aggravated assault: | 10 to 20 years | |||
Aggravated battery: | Up to 20 years | |||
Involuntary manslaughter: | One to 20 years | |||
Vehicular homicide | Up to 15 years | |||
Murder: | Life in prison or the death sentence |
As a former police officer, Dennis O'Brien has seen the toll it takes on a person when charged with a crime. His time in law enforcement allows him to empathize with his clients who desperately need competent representation. Despite being innocent until proven guilty, accusations are scary, and conviction could be a reality. That is why you must work with a trustworthy criminal defense lawyer in Port Wentworth, GA who will work tirelessly to clear your name.
Clients choose O'Brien Law Firm because we believe in open communication, honesty, and hard work. It is not our job to act as judges for those who have been accused of crimes. Rather, our goal is to find the best defense that allows us to protect our clients' rights and freedoms.
Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most common crimes committed in Georgia. Punishments for such a crime can be severe, and for understandable reasons - when a person operates a vehicle while they are intoxicated, they're putting their life and the lives of others at risk.
While DUI is a serious crime that completely upend the accused's life, the earnest desire to end drunk driving can make police officers too eager to catch a person who they believe is under the influence.
The city of Port Wentworth, Georgia, has implemented severe punishments for DUI, even for first-time offenders. Individuals charged with DUI in Port Wentworth could face:
Fortunately, if you or someone you love has been charged with DUI, there is hope. This is particularly true when the accused is administered a breath or blood test for DUI. In fact, cases that involve a breath and/or blood test are beaten daily. When you hire O'Brien Law Firm PC, we will dive deep into your DUI case in Port Wentworth and examine every angle possible for your case to be dismissed. Here are just a few questions our team will investigate:
There are numerous ways to beat a DUI case in Georgia, from unreliable field sobriety tests to inaccurate state-administered breath tests. As a veteran criminal defense lawyer in Port Wentworth, GA, Dennis O'Brien has the knowledge and experience to expose the state's mistakes and fight for your rights. When you hire O'Brien Law Firm PC your chances of dismissal are greatly increased. When your case is dismissed, you can continue living life without the burden of a criminal record.
If you or someone you love is accused of a crime in Port Wentworth, GA, don't leave fate up to the prosecution. Take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family before it's too late.
Contact usLineage Logistics recently marked the grand opening of its newest facility in Port Wentworth, Ga.Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth is strategically located near the Port of Savannah, the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America and the third-busiest container gateway in the U.S., according to a news release.The 220,000-square-foot facility offers cross-docking services for products to enter and exit the facility on the same day if needed, reducing storage time, creating cost efficiencies and ensuring ...
Lineage Logistics recently marked the grand opening of its newest facility in Port Wentworth, Ga.
Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth is strategically located near the Port of Savannah, the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America and the third-busiest container gateway in the U.S., according to a news release.
The 220,000-square-foot facility offers cross-docking services for products to enter and exit the facility on the same day if needed, reducing storage time, creating cost efficiencies and ensuring consumers receive fresh produce faster, the release said. It also has 23 inbound and outbound lanes that can process more than 40 trucks daily, moving up to 1.4 million pounds of produce per day.
“Today, the demand for port-centric temperature-controlled storage has never been greater and our Fresh solution offerings at Lineage have never been more robust,” Jim Henderson, vice president of global sales and business development at Lineage, said in the release. “Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth will allow us to expand our Fresh offering to new and existing customers and also provides the needed capacity to improve market conditions. The opening of this new facility is a critical step for Lineage as we continuously work to reimagine the world’s food supply chain. We are honored to further our long-standing partnership with Georgia Ports Authority and look forward to building our presence in the state of Georgia, an essential hub for trade and innovation.”
For the past two years, Lineage has worked closely with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Georgia Ports Authority and the city of Port Wentworth to construct the Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth facility in addition to its port-adjacent facility on Tremont Road in Savannah, the release said. The Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth project resulted in a $78 million investment alone that created 65 new jobs, bringing Lineage’s total economic investment in Chatham County to over $100 million. To date, Lineage’s footprint in Georgia spans over 3 million square feet.
Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth was designed to address the overwhelming influx in imports of fresh produce to ports in the mid-Atlantic that lack the space to keep up with the demand, the release said. With proximity to the Port of Savannah, the new facility will enable Lineage to deliver larger quantities of fresh produce more efficiently to serve customers across the Southeast.
“With increasing demand for fresh produce capacity in Savannah, this new, state-of-the-art facility is a welcome addition,” Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, said in the release. “Lineage Logistics’ suite of services, such as cold-retreatment and onsite [Customers and Border Protection] inspections, will save time, help prevent loss and, ultimately, bring fresh food to market faster.”
Port Wentworth Council Member Jo Smith has resigned from her at-large post, according to a resignation letter submitted Tuesday. The resignation comes two days before a scheduled hearing regarding an ethics ...
Port Wentworth Council Member Jo Smith has resigned from her at-large post, according to a resignation letter submitted Tuesday. The resignation comes two days before a scheduled hearing regarding an ethics complaint against Smith brought by three other council members.
In the letter, Smith cited a "time-consuming business obligations and extensive travel schedule" for her decision.
In an interview with the Savannah Morning News, she stated that work had "become very busy and my business obligations have grown and so have my travel."
"I want someone who isn't consumed so much by work to serve the constituents," she said.
Smith said she works as a financial advisor and as a consultant for local governments.
More:Ethics complaint lodged against Port Wentworth at-large council member
Last October, Council Members Rufus Bright, Thomas Barbee and Mark Stephens lodged a complaint against Smith, stating that she had violated several city and state ethics codes since she was elected in November 2021.
The complaint alleged Smith had tried to influence the council into contracting with a family member’s grant acquisition company and misused her government-issued purchasing credit card. The members also claimed Smith does not reside in the City of Port Wentworth as is required for elected city officials.
Smith, at the time, deferred comments to her lawyer, Joey Turner of The Turner Firm, who stated that "the allegations are completely baseless and untrue."
The now former council member used stronger language, calling the ethics complaint "all baloney .. it was 100% baloney."
The first hearing regarding the ethics complaint was scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at Port Wentworth City Hall. Smith's resignation renders the complaint moot and the matter has been dismissed, according to municipal court documents.
According to Port Wentworth's city charter, a special election will be held to find Smith's replacement, as there is more than 24 months left in the unexpired term. Port Wentworth city council members serve four-year terms and elections are staggered.
Council Member Bright said he was not expecting Smith to resign and that her decision "leaves a lot of things unanswered.
"We just have to take it as is," said Bright.
On a recent visit to the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina, a retired trucker and current trolley driver told Jeff Seraphine he remembered holing up in his truck for three days without medicine waiting out the flu until he had enough strength to get back on the road because he didn’t have an accessible place to get healthcare.Accessible healthcare is a challenge all truck drivers face as they live their nomad lifestyles, making them one of the unhealthiest populations in the U.S. Nashville-based Interstate Health Syst...
On a recent visit to the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina, a retired trucker and current trolley driver told Jeff Seraphine he remembered holing up in his truck for three days without medicine waiting out the flu until he had enough strength to get back on the road because he didn’t have an accessible place to get healthcare.
Accessible healthcare is a challenge all truck drivers face as they live their nomad lifestyles, making them one of the unhealthiest populations in the U.S. Nashville-based Interstate Health Systems (IHS) is on a quest to eradicate that issue.
“(There are) lots of issues but the primary problem facing that group is just lack of access,” said Seraphine, CEO of IHS. “You have a lot of people that, once they get behind the wheel of a large truck, just lose access to health care. They spend a lot of their days in their truck, and a lot of these people don't get paid unless they keep that truck on the road.”
IHS recently broke ground on a health clinic near the Port Fuel Center in Port Wentworth, Georgia, and the Operational Health Center in Cookeville, Tennessee, recently joined IHS. Both locations are strategically situated in areas frequented by commercial drivers.
Seraphine said the company, which launched in November last year with a goal to create a dynamic network of primary care, urgent care and telemedicine services along the nation’s interstate highway system to make healthcare more accessible to the transportation industry, plans to open 300 locations across the U.S. over the next six years. With its initial funding in place, IHS will begin opening 60 clinics over the next two years.
Seraphine said several groups have tried to create better access to healthcare for drivers but weren’t successful. He said the answer is location.
“Where do truck drivers spend a lot of time? Where do they get off the road and congregate. … It's usually 30 minutes or 45 minutes outside of the big cities … It's not easy to maneuver and find places inside the bigger city so they tend to congregate outside in those smaller cities,” he said.
But the success factor is not just in locating clinics in areas that receive heavy truck driver traffic, he said; it’s about finding locations that also have a medically underserved local population.
“In order to build things that can fundamentally change healthcare access for drivers, you really need to broaden the population that you serve and address the needs of multiple populations in those areas,” Seraphine added.
Each location will be situated nearby strategically selected truck stops and travel centers to allow drivers access to parking, which is a primary factor of accessibility. Seraphine said IHS chose not to locate inside truckstops because that would deter the public from accessing the clinic, which is key to IHS’s success. He said IHS will start with a regional focus first – within 500 miles of Nashville – and then build out nationwide.
IHS will initially offer a consumer facing website that shares locations and offers scheduling but plans to eventually offer an app that helps drivers plan for appointments based on their route.
Locations will initially offer primary and urgent care services for commercial drivers and the community, as well as specialized physicals required by the Department of Transportation for commercial truck drivers, drug screens and other pre-employment medical care and x-ray services. Seraphine said the goal is to eventually offer additional services like laboratory, pharmacy and in-cab sleep studies.
“Because of the driver population and lack of accessibility in the past, we realize that we're dealing with a group that their physical that they are getting either annually or every other year may be the only time some of them are seeing a doctor,” Seraphine said. “We want to make sure that with the care we're giving them we can provide continuity of follow up to that care if they have co-morbid conditions.”
Seraphine said IHS is very technology focused and plans to add in remote patient monitoring, eventually incorporating wearables, to help take care of some of those conditions.
IHS has partnered with cloud-based technology provider CareCloud to offer a single medical record across all IHS locations so drivers don’t have to fill out paperwork at each visit as if they’re a new patient. He said IHS also plans to partner with trucking companies to integrate with their platforms to create data sharing opportunities to enhance continuity of care and patient convenience as well as offer real-time telemedicine and a unified prescription service network.
“We don't want that to be a barrier … so as we scale, the company will also work really hard to bring healthcare technology solutions that are relevant to this group of people – things that deal with conditions that are very common among truck drivers," Seraphine said. "We want to be a place to introduce that technology and make it available to them instead of them being the last people that those things are available to.”
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Ghost Pirates have big plans for Port Wentworth. On Tuesday, the team announced they’re building a 90,000-square-foot training facility in hopes to drum up business in the city.“We desperately needed some infusion of retail and restaurants,” said Steve Davis, Port Wentworth City Manager. “And I think this is going to be the catalyst that takes us to the next level.”With a price tag of $25 million, the facility will house two ice rinks, a sports bar and grill a...
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Ghost Pirates have big plans for Port Wentworth. On Tuesday, the team announced they’re building a 90,000-square-foot training facility in hopes to drum up business in the city.
“We desperately needed some infusion of retail and restaurants,” said Steve Davis, Port Wentworth City Manager. “And I think this is going to be the catalyst that takes us to the next level.”
With a price tag of $25 million, the facility will house two ice rinks, a sports bar and grill and a team shop. Davis said the center is being built inside the 150-acre recreation park the city broke ground on recently.
Bryan Sklover, the team’s Director of Community Relations and Game Presentation said the new facility is being built with the community in mind. He echoes the city manager’s hopes it energizes the area. And introduces a cold-weather sport to Coastal Georgia children.
“It’s just ideal for us to bring our youth tournament and other things as well to the area, which is a huge economic impact for hotels and restaurants and, you know, being only 20 minutes from downtown Savannah proper, it’s just going to drive a new kind of energy to the city,” Sklover said.
The investment is a joint venture between the team and the city but the team will foot most of the costs. The city provided the land and will cover the utilities. After completion of the building, the city will give the Ghost Pirates a $1 million grant and a loan for a portion of the facility
Ghost Pirates CEO, Andy Kaufmann said being a go-to spot for the community is another reason the team is excited to open its doors. Kaufmann also hopes this new facility can be a pipeline to grow the future ghost pirates right here.
“It gives us the ability to develop fans from the youth and develop hockey players from the age of four on up,” Kaufmann said. “Who knows, maybe in 18 years we will see someone who started skating at four years skate up with the ghost pirates. Our favorite thing about it is the engagement with the community 365 days a year. Instead of just 36 home games, we get to hang out and do special things together throughout the year.”
The Ghost Pirates plan to have the facility ready to go by the summer of 2025 just in time to escape the summer heat.
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. —A Port Wentworth city councilwoman has resigned from her seat.In her resignation letter, Jo Smith noted that she will be moving away from Port Wentworth due to "time-consuming business obligations and extensive travel schedule."The letter of resignation comes a few months after city council members submitted an ethics complaint against her.The complaint, filed by councilmembers Rufus Bright, Thomas Barbee and Mark Stephens, was submitted on Oct. 27.The c...
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. —
A Port Wentworth city councilwoman has resigned from her seat.
In her resignation letter, Jo Smith noted that she will be moving away from Port Wentworth due to "time-consuming business obligations and extensive travel schedule."
The letter of resignation comes a few months after city council members submitted an ethics complaint against her.
The complaint, filed by councilmembers Rufus Bright, Thomas Barbee and Mark Stephens, was submitted on Oct. 27.
The complaint claims Smith tried to secure a contract with her sister's grant acquisition company. The complaint alleges the contract would have paid Smith's sister's company 15% of all grants and other funding sources, "likely millions of dollars a year."
In the complaint, councilmembers claim Smith's sister donated to her campaign and that Smith now works for her sister's company.
Councilmembers did note in the complaint that Smith did not participate in the formal discussion of voting on the matter but claimed Smith had multiple conversations with city staff and others advocating for her sister's contract. They said after the contract was rejected, Smith became "hostile towards city officials and staff."
The complaint also alleges that Smith abused her government-issued credit card for personal gain.
Finally, the complaint claims Smith does not live in the city of Port Wentworth.
The ethics complaint states, "Although she qualified for the 2021 election and was elected, Ms. Smith does not maintain residency, nor her home here in the city. A homestead exemption is a tax break for your primary residence. Ms. Smith's primary residence is in Cobb County, as Ms. Smith has taken the homestead exemption on her Cobb County residence for at least three years."
Smith told WJCL 22 News her lawyer called the ethics complaint "as toothless as George Washington." She said agrees with that 100%.
We asked Smith if the ethics complaint has anything to do with her resignation. She said, "Not at all. I had been mulling this over for some time. Meeting and balancing all of one's obligations is always difficult. The recent city conflict only solidified my timeline. I hope whoever runs has the ability to give 100% of their time to our lovely city."
Below Video: Port Wentworth residents upset as council talk splitting up the city