Foss G. Hodges

If you’re facing allegations of Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, Sex Crimes, or other serious offenses in Georgia, contact criminal defense attorney, Foss Hodges, immediately.

If you think you’re under investigation or have been accused of Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, Sex Crimes, or other serious offenses, don’t “wait and see what happens.”  Things usually don’t get better on their own; and the consequences of arrest and conviction for these offenses are staggering.  Getting an experienced criminal defense lawyer involved in your case as early as possible (before talking to police, before arrest, before you are brought to court on formal charges) is the best way to protect yourself, fight back, and try to avoid the serious problems you may be facing.  Contact Foss and the firm, and start getting help right away:

Email Foss:                             fosshodges@justiceingeorgia.com

Phone or Text Foss:              (706) 474-5736

Call the office:                        (404) 296-5300

Fill out our intake form:        Contact Us

 

Allegations of Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, Sex Crimes, and other serious offenses in Georgia have devastating consequences and can overwhelm entire families.  Foss is a criminal defense lawyer who understands that and knows how to respond.

Defending people accused of crimes requires hard work, extensive preparation, compassion, personal attention, a willingness to really listen to the client tell his/her story, and the ability to communicate that story to others.  Foss believes there’s absolutely no substitute for this approach.

Foss loves what he does, cares deeply about his clients and their families, and works hard every day to understand and tell their stories to prosecutors, judges, and juries all over Georgia.  Nobody works harder or cares more than Foss.

 

Foss is a criminal defense attorney for people accused of the most serious offenses in Georgia, like Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, and Sex Crimes.

Foss helps his clients fight back against the most serious criminal allegations, carrying the most severe penalties.  He focuses his practice on defending people accused of crimes against children, sex crimes, and other serious offenses, including:

• Child Abuse
• Child Physical Abuse
• Cruelty to Children
• Shaken Baby Syndrome
• Abusive Head Trauma
• Unexplained Fractures
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Child Molestation
• Child Pornography
• Internet Sexual Offenses
• Sex Crimes
• Rape
• Date Rape
• Statutory Rape
• Sexual Assault
• Sexual Battery
• Assault and Battery
• Felony Murder
• Malice Murder

Foss and the firm have handled these serious criminal cases in every corner of Georgia, throughout the southeast, and around the country.

 

Foss has spent a lifetime preparing to help people accused of serious crimes in Georgia, like Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, and Sex Crimes.

Foss joined Peters, Rubin & Sheffield after graduating cum laude from Mercer University Law School.  As a law student, Foss interned with the firm, helping prepare the “Dunwoody Daycare Murder” case for trial.  He also interned with the Federal Defenders of the Middle District of Georgia and the Macon Circuit Public Defender office, where he represented nearly 100 clients in Felony Probation Revocation proceedings.

In 2019, Foss was promoted to partner, and the firm changed its name to Peters, Rubin, Sheffield & Hodges.

Before becoming a lawyer, Foss earned a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia, and an M.B.A., with honors, from the University of Georgia.  He spent 15 years in upper management positions in residential construction, manufacturing, human resources, and quality assurance, where his job descriptions could be summarized as, “helping people work through their problems.”

Now, Foss uses his unique personal and professional experience and perspective to help his clients battle some of the biggest problems they’ll ever face.

 

Foss continuously studies, teaches others about, speaks about, writes about, and advocates for criminal defense and criminal justice causes.

Since law school, Foss has graduated from two intensive trial practice programs:

• The National Criminal Defense College, Macon, GA.  (2017)
• The Bill Daniel Trial Advocacy Program, Athens, GA.  (2014)

Foss’s teaching/speaking engagements include:

• Lecturer, Medical Records:  The Stories They Tell, Doug Peters’ Defense of the Child Molestation Case in Georgia, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar, Atlanta.  (2022)
• Lecturer, Cross Examination of the Child Witness (You Can’t Always Get What You Want:  How to Get What You Need from a Child Witness), Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall Seminar, Young Harris, GA.  (2021)
• Program Director, Practicing in a Pandemic World, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Webinar.  (2021)
• Lecturer, Direct Examination of the Medical Expert, Defending Sex Crimes: Zealous Advocacy in Sexual Assault & Child Victim Cases, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar, Las Vegas.  (2019)
• Lecturer, Commitment to the Case: The First 60 Days, Defending a Child Sex Abuse Case, Georgia Public Defender Council Seminar, Atlanta.  (2018)
• Panelist, Miscarriage of Justice: Examining Facts that Lead to Wrongful Convictions, Emory Law School Public Interest Committee Conference, Atlanta.  (2018)
• Lecturer, Direct Examination of the Medical Expert, Doug Peters’ Defense of the Child Molestation Case in Georgia, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar, Atlanta.  (2018)

Foss’s criminal defense associations, advocacy, and volunteer work include:

• Sustaining Member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“GACDL”).  (2013-present)
• Co-editor of the GACDL’s newsletter, The Georgia Defender.  (2017-present)
• Chair of the GACDL’s Membership Committee.  (2018-2021)
• Legislative Policy Advocate, GACDL’s Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Week at the Capitol.  (2019-present)
• Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“NACDL”).  (2015-present)

 

Foss gets results for clients accused of Child Abuse, Cruelty to Children, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Unexplained Fractures, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, Sex Crimes, and other serious offenses.

Through relentless hard work, experience, compassion, and skill, Foss and the firm have achieved exceptional results for clients all over Georgia and beyond.  Significant victories Foss has been involved with include:

• Indictment for Child Molestation dismissed for father accused of touching his son’s penis with sexual intent. Where client was facing a mandatory minimum 5-20 years in prison and a lifetime on the Sex Offender Registry, Defense Attorneys negotiated a First Offender plea to a lesser, non-sexual offense, with probation, no prison, no Sex Offender Registry, and immediate record restriction.  As a First Offender, the client’s plea is not a conviction – upon completion of his sentence, his case will be discharged with no adjudication of guilt.  (2022)
• Hodges gets Pretrial Diversion and dismissal of all charges for client facing 5-20 years in prison for First Degree Cruelty to Children based on allegations he violently, maliciously broke his step-son’s arm.  (2022)
• After more than 7 years of extensive, persistent pre-trial litigation by Defense Counsel, Murder charges against client dismissed with prejudice.  (2021)
• Prosecution barred from seeking death penalty in Murder case, where court agrees with Defense Counsel that prosecution was impermissibly vindictive in seeking death penalty.  (2021)
• Case closed without arrest for parents under investigation for Child Abuse because an Unexplained Fracture of their baby’s clavicle.  Hodges convinces detective that the injury was likely caused by underlying medical conditions and birth trauma, not abuse.  (2021)
• Hodges gets Juvenile Court probation for youth charged as an adult and facing up to Life in prison for Aggravated Sexual Battery, Child Molestation, and Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes.  (2021)
• Indictment for Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation dismissed in “Internet Chatroom Sting” case.  Where client faced up to 80 years in prison, Hodges obtains plea to lesser offense, First Offender, house arrest and probation, no jail or prison.  When client successfully completes his sentence, he will be discharged and exonerated, will automatically come off the Sex Offender Registry, and will have no conviction on his record.  (2021)
• Hodges intervenes to prevent arrest of client under investigation for alleged sexual, physical, and mental Child Abuse of his son.  (2021)
• Case closed without arrest for client under investigation for Child Molestation and Aggravated Sexual Battery.  (2021)
• Hodges identifies and stops “Sextortion” scheme, ending exploitation, blackmail, and harassment of client.  (2020)
• Aggravated Child Molestation investigation ends without arrest where Defense Counsel proves allegation and purported confession were product of misunderstanding, improper influence, and suggestibility.  (2020)
• Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sodomy, and Child Molestation charges dismissed; Defense Counsel convinces prosecution to drop the case without seeking an indictment. (2020)
• Hodges identifies and intervenes in “Sextortion” scheme, ending nightmare for client victimized by blackmailer.  (2020)
• Client facing up to 15 years for Vehicular Homicide gets time served and First Offender probation, where Hodges’ extensive investigation proves that State’s purported evidence of client’s conduct, behavior, and rate of speed was inaccurate and inadequate.  As a First Offender, client’s plea is not a conviction – upon completion of his sentence, his case will be discharged, and the record of his arrest will be restricted.  (2020)
• Indictment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics dismissed where Defense Counsel proves that client was simply “along for the ride” when co-defendants picked up a package of drugs.  Client was facing felony charges and many years in prison.  He pleaded to misdemeanor Possession of Drug Related Objects and was sentenced to probation.  (2019)
• Sexual Assault charges reduced to non-sexual offense for teacher who pleaded guilty to having romantic relationship with student. Where client was facing up to 25 years in prison, Defense Attorneys negotiated a First Offender plea to a lesser, non-sexual offense, no Sex Offender Registry, 90 days in the local jail, followed by probation.  As a First Offender, the client’s plea is not a conviction – upon completion of her sentence, her case will be discharged, and the record of her arrest will be restricted.  (2019)
• After 3 years, case resolved with plea to lesser charges, time served, one year on house arrest, and probation for man facing up to Life in prison for multiple sexual offenses (including Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Sodomy, and Child Molestation) against 3 different children.  (2019)
• Case dismissed without arrest for client under investigation for Sexual Battery.  (2019)
• After hearing, Administrative Law Judge reverses DFCS, finding evidence insufficient to prove that client committed sexual abuse against his sons, and ordering DFCS to remove client’s name from the Child Abuse Registry.  (2019)
• Hodges gets Aggravated Sexual Battery, Child Molestation, Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes case transferred from adult court to juvenile court for youth.  (2019)
• Aggravated Child Molestation and Aggravated Sodomy charges placed on Dead Docket where Defense Counsel raises Sexsomnia (“Sleep Sex”) defense and State elects not to proceed to trial (2018).
• Hodges obtains dismissal of Incest charge for man facing up to 30 years in prison. Client pleads to non-sexual offense, keeping him out of prison and off the Sex Offender Registry.  (2018)
• South Carolina Rape/Sexual Assault charges dismissed; client pleads to non-sexual misdemeanor charge with probation.  (2018)
• Hodges gets Kidnapping conviction reversed by Supreme Court of Georgia.  (2018)
• First Offender plea, no conviction, and probation for government employee facing jail time for Sexual Battery against coworker.  (2018)
• Cruelty to Children charges dismissed for woman accused of physically abusing her son, facing up to 10 years in prison. Client pleads to misdemeanor Simple Battery, First Offender, no conviction, and 12 months probation.  (2018)
• Hodges obtains pre-trial diversion and dismissal for client charged with Sexual Battery.  (2017)
• Cruelty to Children charges dismissed for police officer facing up to 20 years in prison for physically abusing his son. Client pleads to misdemeanor Battery Family Violence, First Offender, no conviction, 12 months probation.  (2017)
• Jury finds client Not Guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Battery, and Cruelty to Children in trial involving allegations of Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma. Jury convicts on one count of Aggravated Assault.  (2016)
• Hodges obtains pretrial diversion and dismissal for client, with priors, facing Possession of LSD.  (2016)
• Hodges convinces DFCS to drop Child Abuse case against teacher accused of physically assaulting young student, enabling teacher to avoid sanctions at school and keep her job.  (2016)
• Charges dismissed in Juvenile Court for client accused of Rape, Child Molestation, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Sodomy, and False Imprisonment.  (2015)
• Forcible Rape investigation against client dismissed without arrest.  (2015)
• Hodges obtains pretrial diversion and dismissal for man charged with Indecent Exposure and False Statements to police.  (2015)
• Client pleads to reduced charges, First Offender, no conviction, probation, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, despite priors.  (2015)
• Investigation terminated without arrest for man already on Sex Offender Registry for prior case, and accused of Child Molestation for touching teenaged stepdaughter.  (2014)
• In the middle of trial for Felony Murder, client accepts State’s offer to plead to Cruelty to Children, First Offender, no conviction, and probation.  Client was accused of causing the death of his infant son by Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, and was facing up to Life Without Parole.  (2014)

For more, see Foss’s Notable Cases.