DeKalb cop charged in shooting case picks top attorney
Don Samuel has long been in the thick of many high-profile cases.
The easy-going, affable Atlanta criminal defense attorney is often paired with his longtime law partner, Ed Garland, when representing sports stars and celebrities, as well as some particularly nefarious criminals.
Samuel now represents DeKalb County police Officer Robert Olsen, the first Georgia law enforcement officer in more than five years to be prosecuted for the fatal shooting of a civilian.
Bruce Morris, an attorney who has worked with Samuel, said Olsen is in good hands.
“Don is clearly the most intelligent lawyer I’ve ever worked with in terms of knowing the law,” Morris said. "He can tell you what the law is, when the case was decided and probably even the judge who wrote it."
Morris noted that Samuel's treatises on federal and state court decisions in criminal cases are frequently used and cited. “He literally wrote the book,” Morris said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been before a judge who didn’t have his book close at hand.”
To read a more about Samuel, please go to myajc.com.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
