CRIMINAL DEFENSE - Key Persons
About Abbi S. Taylor. Looking back on more than three decades of lawyering, I am reminded that I have been dedicated to this path since I was eight years old. Years ago, I told an aunt I was going to be a criminal defense lawyer;everything I have done since then has been toward that single goal. I am a full-time lawyer, part-time Judge and a mediator/arbitrator. Being a Judge since 1997 has helped me be a better lawyer by giving me insight as to what prosecutors and judges look for in a case. It also gives me an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of our justice system, from both sides of a case. Being a mediator and arbitrator has made me a better attorney because it demonstrates how to help people negotiate and reach agreements in lieu of being stuck in the court system.
I chose to focus on parole cases when I witnessed how the system was stacked against any given defendant and saw that he or she had no voice. I decided to be that voice. I have helped hundreds of people get home to their families. I have helped individuals move to better placements in the prison system. I have made a difference in the quality of individuals' lives in and out of prison.
I have also had the privilege of helping people in the very darkest times of their lives. I was able to prove that a little boy's parents did nothing to harm him; in fact, the babysitter had caused the injury. I made sure that the boy's parents did not spend a day apart from him and that no charges were filed. They were so grateful, they named their next child after me. Unfortunately for them, she has my gift of gab.
I was the lead attorney on a case with national exposure when five camp counselors at a program for troubled youngsters were charged with murder in the death of a participant. I was able to prove the counselors had done everything properly, the way they were trained, and that the participant died for other reasons and not as a result of anything the clients did. The charges were eventually dropped and I was able to get the arrests erased off of their records. I was honored to attend one of the counselor's weddings. He and his family now regard me as a member of their family.
In another case, I represented a client who was convicted of a domestic incident with his wife that made him deportable. When I was hired, he was in immigration custody and in the process of being deported. I was able to get his conviction set aside and he was released from custody and able to resume his life with his wonderful family.
These are a few examples of why I am so proud to do this kind of work. In my personal life, my husband and I have a daughter, son-in-law, and two fast-growing grandchildren. We love spending time with them. My husband and I enjoy running half marathons (I did my first full marathon a few years ago), hike, play tennis, do yoga and relax with our dogs. I was a founding member and board member of MostlyMutts.org, an animal rescue organization and no-kill shelter, for over ten years. I still volunteer as a legal consultant for the organization.
Linda Cornwall. Linda has been a valuable member of the firm for many years. Before joining the Law Firm of Abbi S. Taylor, Ms. Cornwall, who is from the United Kingdom, worked for two criminal and civil law firms as a paralegal. Prior to arriving in Atlanta, Ms. Cornwall received her L.L.B. from Birmingham Law School in England and subsequently worked for The Crown Prosecution Service exclusively in criminal law. Ms. Cornwall enjoys helping people and has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence; she has worked closely with the police, the homeless, and people with drug and or mental health issues. Ms. Cornwall is a member of the Gate City Bar Association.