Smith Blythe founding partner Shannon Smith has been awarded the G. Terry Jackson Friend of the Constitution Award by her peers in criminal defense at the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, she did not receive the award at the 2020 GACDL Winter Seminar, but rather received the beautiful trophy in her office, where she will keep it for the rest of the year.
The G. Terry Jackson Friend of the Constitution Award was created in January of 2012 to honor G. Terry Jackson, a well-known and respected criminal defense attorney, who was noted for taking on cases nobody else wanted and for showing compassion for both the victims and their families, as well as the defendants in his cases.
When she was nominated, Shannon was described this way:
”“Shannon takes on high profile, difficult, nationally despised and unpopular defendants, even though she is the devoted mother of small children. She says she gets a lot of pushback as a result, but feels that she allows her clients to escape a system that can very much be a bully … She is a powerhouse, she is fearless and somehow faces these tremendously difficult cases, having the back of some of the most hated defendants, and she wins.\”
For Shannon, it’s an honor to be compared to Jackson, who was once quoted as saying, “…doing what we do, no matter how high the deck is stacked against us, is the hardest and most rewarding work a lawyer can undertake.”
Shannon agrees wholeheartedly.
The attorneys at Smith Blythe have been defending the rights of the accused for a combined 25+ years. The team is dedicated to pursuing justice on behalf of those who are facing the most heinous allegations. If you or someone you love has been accused of a crime, Smith Blythe will work to protect your rights and will arm you with the strongest defense. Contact us today to get started.