Practice areas: Criminal Defense, Appellate; view more
Licensed in Georgia since: 2005
Education: University of Georgia School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026 Call today:
706-350-1848
Free Consultation Crawford and Boyle, LLC
306 S. Hammond DriveMonroe, GA 30655 Visit website
A well-regarded Monroe, Georgia, criminal defense attorney, Eric C. Crawford is the managing partner at Crawford and Boyle, LLC. He centers his practice around serious criminal cases mostly involving sex crimes, as well as appeals in criminal and traffic cases.
With a focus on criminal justice, sociology and political science, Mr. Crawford completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Georgia in 2001. He then graduated, cum laude, with his Juris Doctor degree in 2005 from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served as a teaching assistant for Legal Research & Writing and earned the Prosecutorial Clinic Student of the Year award. He also interned at the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney’s Office.
As a former prosecutor at the Walton County District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Crawford has prosecuted a variety of criminal cases ranging from murder to moving violations. During his time there, he started one of the first Internet Crimes Against Children Units in Georgia. He then gained invaluable insight into the criminal justice system by trying cases at the state and appellate levels for more than 15 years. This experience enables him to design the most effective defense strategies possible for the accused.
Recognized consistently since 2013 by The National Trial Lawyers, Mr. Crawford was selected for inclusion on its Top 40 under 40 and Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia lists. He received the Distinguished Lawyer Designation from the Expert Network and was rated "Superb" on Avvo. Additionally, his firm was included in Bulldog 100 by the University of Georgia Alumni Association, a comprehensive listing of the fastest-growing businesses.
A current member and former president of the Walton County Bar Association, Mr. Crawford is also a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association. He holds memberships in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National College for DUI Defense. Additionally, he, along with his firm partner, owns a nonprofit charitable organization called The Crawford and Boyle Foundation.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, AppellateFocus areas
Appeals, Sex Offenses
- 70% Criminal Defense
- 30% Appellate
First Admitted: 2005, Georgia
Professional Webpage: https://www.crawfordboyle.com/about-us/eric-c-crawford/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Graduate of the Leadership Jackson program through the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce., 2022
- Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers., 2021
- Member of Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers., 2021
- Member of the National College for DUI Defense., 2021
- Founding member of DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA)., 2021
- Board Member - Walton County Bar Association, 2020
- Board Member - Walton County Bar Association, 2019
- President - Walton County Bar Association, 2018
- President - Walton County Bar Association, 2017
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Cortney Bell - won complete dismissal of all charges in the Georgia Supreme Court after convincing them to accept our certiorari petition and hear the case. , 2023
- Cortney Bell vs. State (A21A1215) - Won an appeal in the Court of Appeals on a highly publicized second-degree murder case., 2022
- Dr. Harold William George vs. State (S21G0429) - We lost a hard fought trial in a child molestation case, lost in the Court of Appeals, but convinced the Supreme Court to grant certiorari and reverse based upon a motion Eric filed pre-trial that should have been granted. , 2021
- Russell McCurdy vs. State (A21A0540) - Convinced the Court of Appeals to merge approximately fifty counts of sexual exploitation down to a single count., 2021
- Sahima Godkhindi vs. State (A20A1147) - I am especially proud of this case. We had a trial judge deny first offender treatment because she had previously done pre-trial diversion on a marijuana case; he granted first offender treatment to another case in a similar situation where the client, unlike Ms. Godkhindi, had blonde hair and blue eyes. Got the denial of first offender reversed and granted to client, who successfully completed it and has a clean record!, 2020
Videos
- A video produced by Crisp that explains how our firm handles criminal defense cases., Crawford and Boyle Criminal Defense Video, N/a, 2020
- A video produced by Crisp that explains how we/I handle sex cases., Crawford and Boyle Sex Offense Video, N/a, 2020
- This video was produced by Crisp and explains our DUI practice., Crawofrd and Boyle DUI Video, N/a, 2020
Pro bono / Community Service
- My law partner and I have a foundation, "The Crawford and Boyle Foundation," that is funded through money from Crawford and Boyle that would have otherwise gone to the partners. In 2023, we used the foundation to allow each of our ten employees $500 to donate to the charity or cause of their choice. Eric's donation was to the newly formed Walton Humane Society to help them get off the ground in helping the community adopt dogs and cats from a no-kill environment., 2023
- My law partner and I have a foundation, "The Crawford and Boyle Foundation," that is funded through money from Crawford and Boyle that would have otherwise gone to the partners. In 2022, we used the foundation to allow each of our ten employees $500 to donate to the charity or cause of their choice. Eric's donation was to Adventure Bags in Winder that provides bookbags with essentials (and some fun stuff) for kids either placed in foster care or otherwise seized by the court system., 2022
- My law partner and I have a foundation, "The Crawford and Boyle Foundation," that is funded through money from Crawford and Boyle that would have otherwise gone to the partners. In 2021, we used the foundation to: 1. Run a charity golf tournament for a local police officer who needed a kidney transplant, raising almost $10,000 for him. 2. We also "gave" each of our eight employees $500 to donate to the charity or cause of their choice. Eric's donation was to the Fostering Hope Clothes Closet in Jefferson that provides clothes and sports equipment to children in need., 2021
- My law partner and I have a foundation, "The Crawford and Boyle Foundation," that is funded through money from Crawford and Boyle that would have otherwise gone to the partners. In 2020, we used the foundation to: 1. Donate $1,025 worth of supplies to the Gwinnett Partnership Against Domestic Violence. 2. Give a donation of $500 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 3. Donate $250 to a local police officer who fell off a roof and injured himself. 4. Donate $250 to Team Up Mentoring, a local mentoring program. 5. Due to the pandemic, we bought and donated meals to first responders to help both the first responders and restaurants, supporting the officers at the Monroe Police Department and doctors and staff at Piedmont Walton. 6. Donate $600 to Faith in Serving Humanity to provide summer meals to children. 7. Donate $250 to Cure Childhood Cancer. 8. Donate $575 to Emileigh Cauthorne, a local girl with a terminal illness. 9. Donate $500 to the Gwinnett County Defense Bar in support of the annual ToyRaiser for Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. 10. Make three Christmastime donations of $1,000 to three different organizations: Student Success Alliance, Team Up Mentoring, and Peace Place Domestic Violence Shelter. 2. We also "gave" each of our eight employees $500 to donate to the charity or cause of their choice. Eric's donation was to the Fostering Hope Clothes Closet in Jefferson that provides clothes and sports equipment to children in need., 2020
- My law partner and I have a foundation, "The Crawford and Boyle Foundation," that is funded through money from Crawford and Boyle that would have otherwise gone to the partners. It was established in 2019, and that year we used the foundation to: 1. Donate $500 to the Gwinnett County Defense Bar for the annual ToyRaiser for Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. 2. Donated $100 through Crisp Video to support a needy family., 2019
Honors
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2023
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2022
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2021
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2020
- In 2020, we were part of the Bulldog 100, which recognizes the fastest growing businesses owned buy UGA Alumni., Bulldog 100, University of Georgia Alumni Association, 2020
- In 2019, we were part of the Bulldog 100, which recognizes the fastest growing businesses owned buy UGA Alumni., Bulldog 100, University of Georgia Alumni Association, 2019
- Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2019
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2019
- Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2018
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2018
- Top 100 Criminal Litigators in Georgia, The National Trial Lawyers, 2017
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Sociology (University of Georgia), 2001
- Juris Doctor - with honors (University of Georgia School of Law), 2005
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- This is a book I wrote to help individuals and families in Georgia that are dealing with a sexual offense. The book explains the laws, answers frequently asked questions, and provides guidance., Author, Defending a Sexual Assault Allegation, N/a, 2020
- This is a book that I wrote for individuals charged with DUI in Northeast Georgia. It explains types of DUI, punishments, field sobriety testing, blood/breath testing, administrative license suspensions, possible defenses, frequently asked questions, court procedures, and contact information for the courts., Author, The Driver's Guide to a Northeast Georgia DUI, N/a, 2021
Other Outstanding Achievements
- In an appeal, Eric convinced the Court of Appeals to overturn a second degree murder charge and a child cruelty charge on a highly-publicized and live-streamed infant murder case. Then, Eric coaxed the Georgia Supreme Court to grant a writ of certiorari on the remaining charge of contributing to the deprivation of a minor; oral arguments occurred in April, and we are awaiting a decision., 2022
- Following the success in the Court of Appeals in 2022 on Ms. Bell's case, Eric was able to petition for certiorari from the Georgia Supreme Court and to convince them to dismiss the rest of the charges as being factually unsupported by the evidence., 2023
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026
