Christopher Balch recognized as the only Local Government Fellow in Georgia by the International Municipal Lawyers Association

Christopher Balch recognized as the only Local Government Fellow in Georgia by the International Municipal Lawyers Association

At its 88th Annual Conference in LaQuinta, California, Chris Balch was recognized for his demonstrated excellence in Local Government Law by the International Municipal Lawyers Association. The IMLA Fellows program requires a detailed and thorough application process in which the applicant must demonstrate a commitment to representing local governments by virtue of their training, experience,…

The citizens of the new City of Mulberry, in Gwinnett County, approved the adoption of their New City Charter this past week

Creating New Cities Is Hard

The citizens of the new City of Mulberry, in Gwinnett County, recently approved the adoption of their New City Charter. There are lots of steps that make up leading to a new city, and these leaders and citizens have navigated two of the hardest: (1) Getting a Bill passed by the Legislature that allows voters…

BLG advocates for local governments at US Supreme Court

BLG advocates for local governments at US Supreme Court

Our firm was asked by the International Municipal Lawyers Association, the Georgia Association County Commissioners, and Georgia Municipal Association to file a brief in support of a petition for review by the United States Supreme Court by former Muscogee County Sheriff’s Department Correctional Officer Keyvon Sellers. Earlier this year Officer Sellers was denied qualified immunity…

Scales of Justice
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City of Brookhaven and BLG Vindicated by Court’s Order on Summary Judgment

Months of negotiations, a lawsuit, 6 years of litigation, a jury trial and adverse judgment, followed by reversal in part by the Court of Appeals ended today with the complete exoneration of the City of Brookhaven and the advice by this firm in Ardent et al v. City of Brookhaven, et al. DeKalb Superior Court,…

search warrant
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Balch Law Group successfully defends Investigators with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office

Balch Law Group successfully defends Investigators with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office in a challenge from the Columbus Consolidated Government (“CCG”) to the production of information gathered pursuant to 6 search warrants. Sheriff’s Investigators are looking into allegations of financial mismanagement by CCG pursuant to a request by the Governing Authority of the Consolidated Government….

College Park, Georgia Mayor Bianca Motley Broom
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Balch Law Group Files Complaint in Federal Court on Behalf of College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom

MAYOR BIANCA MOTLEY BROOM FILES PETITION AGAINST THE CITY OF COLLEGE PARK FOR VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL RIGHTS PRESS RELEASE from Mayor Motley Broom [Fulton County, GA – March 1, 2024] – On March 1, Mayor Bianca Motley Broom, both in her individual and official capacity as Mayor of the City of College Park,…

BLG – Making Drone Programs Viable for Communities
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BLG – Making Drone Programs Viable for Communities

CBS Mornings recently reported on Brookhaven, Georgia’s Police Department’s ground breaking drone program, illustrating how drones can be used by law enforcement. But what does it really take to implement a drone program that protects civil liberties? A city council voting on policy and a police department building a program are the final steps in…

Scales of Justice
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BLG Quickly Obtains Summary Dismissal of Baseless Ethics Charge against College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom

The Firm is proud to have been asked to represent Mayor Bianca Motley Broom in a politically motivated and unfounded ethics complaint filed by two members of the City Council. We submitted a substantive response to the allegations made by the complainants on June 23 challenging the timeliness, procedural effectiveness, and merits of the complaint….

At IMLA – How Drones Can Save Money & Lives While Maintaining Privacy
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At IMLA – How Drones Can Save Money & Lives While Maintaining Privacy

Our firm was proud to present to the International Municipal Lawyers Association Mid-Year Seminar in Washington, DC in April. In tandem with Brookhaven Police Lieutenant Abrem Ayana, we presented on the policies, procedures, and operational guidelines governing the Brookhaven program. Our work on behalf of local governments has always been at the forefront of the…

It is always time to do what is right
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It is always time to do what is right

The firm’s local government law philosophy is to work with elected and appointed officials and to provide a pathway to accomplishing the policy goals they set for their city or county while assuring they are in compliance with their city’s or county’s charter and state and federal law. Sometimes it’s very hard to do both….

Leading the Legislative and Legal Initiatives to Bring Brookhaven City Hall to Life
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Leading the Legislative and Legal Initiatives to Bring Brookhaven City Hall to Life

The City of Brookhaven undertook an unusual mechanism to fund infrastructure and construction of the 10 year old City’s first City Hall. By amending the Charter, the City Council clarified the apparent intent of the City’s Founders that only the taxes assessed to establish the City’s Annual General Fund budget were to be capped at…