CASES RECEIVED PER YEAR

Please note that each person charged is considered a single case received. In other words, an incident in which four people are accused will count as four separate cases.

CASES RECEIVED BY OFFENSE

This chart contains additional data to the right. To view additional offense groups data, drag the bar across the bottom of the chart.

In many cases, an accused is arrested on multiple criminal charges. In this chart, each case is categorized by the highest-level felony offense, regardless of any other charges filed in that case.  For example, a case where an individual is accused of Felony Murder (Homicide), Aggravated Assault (Assault and Battery), and Possession of a Firearm or Knife During the Commission of a Felony (Weapons) would fall under the Homicide group.

CASES RECEIVED BY UNIT

The Trial Division handles a broad range of offenses, including the most commonly committed crimes (such as Theft, Drugs, and Weapons). The other units in the DA's Office specialize in particular fields, such as Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault, Child Crimes Unit, Crimes Against Elder Persons and Adults with Disabilities, and so forth. As a result, the Trial Division receives the majority of felony cases in the DeKalb County Superior Court.

CATEGORIES OF INTEREST

These charts categorize crimes by the highest-level offense and are intended to provide additional context for cases that involve categories of public interest, even though they may not be the highest-level offense in the case. The boxes on the left allow you to filter cases received that included charges related to Gangs, Domestic Violence, Weapons, and/or Drugs. To view additional offense groups data, drag the bar across the bottom of the chart.

Gang-Related: For a case to be considered gang-related, there must be at least one charge referencing the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Not all cases with gang activity are accounted for; only those where gang involvement can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on admissible evidence and where prosecutors determine the charge strengthens the case. 

Domestic Violence-Related: For a case to be considered domestic violence-related, there must be at least one charge referencing family violence. Statutorily, Family Violence charges are committed between “household members,” which includes past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons living or formerly living in the same household. Not all cases involving domestic violence are accounted for; only those where domestic violence can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on admissible evidence and where prosecutors determine the charge strengthens the case.  

Weapon-Related: For a case to be considered weapon-related, there must be at least one charge involving possession and/or use of a firearm or knife. Not all cases involving weapons are accounted for; only those where weapons possession and/or use can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on admissible evidence and where prosecutors determine the charge strengthens the case.  

Drug-Related: For a case to be considered drug-related, there must be at least one charge involving drug trafficking, possession, and/or distribution. Not all cases involving drugs are accounted for; only those where drug involvement can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on admissible evidence and where prosecutors determine the charge strengthens the case.  

For a full list of the charges in each highlighted offense group, please visit the Data Glossary.

CASES RECEIVED BY AGE OF THE ACCUSED

These dashboards reflect cases prosecuted in DeKalb County Superior Court.  Under Georgia law, a 17-year-old is considered an adult for the purposes of the criminal justice system.  Generally, cases for anyone 16 and younger are handled in Juvenile Court.  However, the DA’s Office can decide to prosecute someone 13-16 as an adult in Superior Court if the charges against them are any of the following: Murder, Murder in the Second Degree, Voluntary Manslaughter, Rape, Aggravated Sodomy, Aggravated Child Molestation, Aggravated Sexual Battery, Armed Robbery if committed with a firearm, Aggravated Assault of a Public Safety Officer if committed with a firearm, and Aggravated Battery of a Public Safety Officer.

Please note that individuals between 17 and 24 are grouped together because they are considered youthful offenders under Georgia’s Youthful Offender Act.  That law allows for special sentencing considerations, including referrals to diversion, rehabilitation programs, and the potential for record restriction (formerly known as expungement) upon sentence completion. Other age ranges are grouped in 5-year increments, with the exception of 65+.

CASES RECEIVED BY RACE/ETHNICITY

Please note that the data in this chart is based on an accused’s race/ethnicity as recorded by jail staff at the time of their booking into the jail.  The racial/ethnic categories are not determined by the DA’s Office, nor is the data independently confirmed by the DA's Office. For more information on DeKalb County's demographic breakdown, please visit the County Information section.