Prine Law Group is a criminal defense and trial practice firm based at 740 Mulberry Street in downtown Macon, Georgia. Founded in 2007 by Joseph R. Prine Jr., the firm has grown to include three attorneys with a combined 38 years of courtroom experience across Middle Georgia. The firm handles criminal defense, personal injury, and workers’ compensation cases in Bibb County, Laurens County, Twiggs County, and the surrounding judicial circuits.
The Attorneys
Joseph R. Prine Jr. was born in Macon and graduated from Dublin High School in 1997. He earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University in 2002 and his Juris Doctor from Charleston School of Law in 2007. Prine is admitted to practice before the Superior Courts of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. He holds memberships in the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Macon Bar Association, and the Dublin Bar Association. He currently serves as Solicitor for Twiggs County Probate Court, a role that places him on both sides of the criminal justice process.
Dylan “Zane” Hasty grew up in Turner County, Georgia and graduated cum laude from Valdosta State University in 2015. He went on to earn his law degree magna cum laude from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2019. Hasty is a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal honor fraternity. He serves as Assistant Solicitor for both Twiggs County Probate Court and Perry Municipal Court. Hasty joined the firm during his second semester of law school and has practiced exclusively in Middle Georgia courts since admission.
Michael William Barber graduated from Wofford College in South Carolina in 2007 and received his Juris Doctor from Charleston School of Law. He was admitted to practice in both Georgia and South Carolina in 2011. Before joining Prine Law Group, Barber practiced at James E. Lee II, P.C. from 2011 to 2018. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Mercer University’s Stetson School of Business and is a member of the Macon Bar Association.
Dual Prosecution and Defense Perspective
What distinguishes Prine Law Group from many criminal defense firms in Middle Georgia is that two of its three attorneys actively serve in prosecutorial roles. Prine works as Solicitor for Twiggs County Probate Court. Hasty serves as Assistant Solicitor for both Twiggs County Probate Court and Perry Municipal Court. This means they build cases for the state in one courtroom and defend against the state in another. The practical value of this arrangement is straightforward: attorneys who understand how prosecutors assemble cases, evaluate evidence, and make charging decisions are better positioned to identify weaknesses in those same processes when representing defendants.
This dual role is not common in Georgia criminal defense practice. Most defense attorneys work exclusively on the defense side, which limits their visibility into how law enforcement reports are received and evaluated by prosecutors, how plea offers are calculated, and what factors influence a prosecutor’s willingness to negotiate. Prine and Hasty operate inside that system regularly, and that operational knowledge informs the firm’s defense strategy.
Practice Areas in Criminal Defense
The firm represents clients facing a broad range of criminal charges in Middle Georgia courts. Its criminal defense practice covers DUI and traffic offenses, drug possession and trafficking charges, felony crimes including assault and burglary, theft and shoplifting, domestic violence cases, juvenile offenses, and probation violations.
In DUI cases, the firm’s approach begins with the technical details. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. Section 40-6-392 requires breathalyzer devices to be calibrated according to manufacturer specifications. The firm subpoenas calibration records in every DUI case involving a breath test. When records reveal that a device was outside its required maintenance window, the firm files motions to suppress the test results. Beyond the machine, the firm examines officer training certifications, field sobriety test administration, and any video evidence for procedural errors.
Drug offense defense starts with the traffic stop or encounter that led to the discovery of drugs. The firm analyzes whether the initial stop was supported by reasonable suspicion, whether any search was conducted with valid consent or probable cause, and whether the chain of custody for seized evidence was properly maintained. The exclusionary rule established in Mapp v. Ohio requires suppression of evidence obtained through an unconstitutional search, and the firm files motions to suppress when the facts warrant it.
For felony cases, the firm investigates witness credibility, examines forensic evidence, and evaluates potential defenses including alibi, lack of intent, and misidentification. Georgia’s First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 allows certain first-time felony offenders to complete probation without a felony conviction on their record. The firm negotiates for First Offender status when the facts and the client’s background support it, and pursues charge reductions from felony to misdemeanor when the evidence allows.
Geographic Focus
Prine Law Group practices exclusively in Middle Georgia. The firm does not handle cases in Atlanta, Savannah, or other metropolitan areas. Its regular courtrooms include Bibb County Superior Court, Bibb County State Court, Macon Recorder’s Court, and courts in Twiggs County, Laurens County, and Perry. The firm’s office sits within walking distance of the Bibb County Courthouse, the Bibb County Jail, and the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office.
This geographic limitation is deliberate. Regular presence in the same courtrooms over 18 years has given the firm working familiarity with local judges, prosecutors, court staff, docket schedules, and procedural expectations. When a client is arrested on a Friday night in Bibb County, the firm knows the first appearance will be Saturday morning at the Bibb County Jail. When an arraignment is scheduled, the firm knows which prosecutor is assigned and what the court’s typical approach is for the charge at issue. That kind of institutional knowledge comes from sustained local practice, not from reading the rules.
The firm represents clients from throughout Bibb County, including Pleasant Hill, Shirley Hills, Vineville, Riverside, and North Macon. It also serves clients in Dublin, Perry, and surrounding communities. Clients have included employees of the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Kumho Tire, and YKK Corporation, as well as students at Mercer University and Wesleyan College.
Trial Preparation as Default
The firm prepares every case as if it will go to trial. This is not a slogan. It is a resource allocation decision. Prosecutors can identify which defense attorneys are prepared to try a case and which are looking solely for a plea deal. When a defense attorney has subpoenaed calibration records, filed suppression motions, deposed witnesses, and identified evidentiary weaknesses, the negotiating posture shifts. The prosecutor knows that taking the case to trial carries risk, and that knowledge influences plea offers.
Not every case goes to trial. Many are resolved through negotiation, and the firm pursues favorable outcomes through plea agreements when that path serves the client’s interest. But the firm’s negotiating position is built on trial preparation, and that preparation begins at intake.
Client Recognition
Prine Law Group has accumulated more than 85 five-star reviews on Google and FindLaw from clients across Middle Georgia. Client feedback frequently mentions preparation, responsiveness, fair fees, and outcomes. Attorneys Prine and Hasty are named individually in many of these reviews. The firm acknowledges that every case is different and that past results do not guarantee future outcomes, but the volume and consistency of client feedback reflects the firm’s approach to communication and case management.
Contact
Prine Law Group is located at 740 Mulberry Street, Macon, Georgia 31201. The firm can be reached at 478-257-6333 for consultations. The firm holds Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating and maintains memberships in the American Association for Justice, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is evaluated individually based on its facts and applicable law. Contacting the office does not create an attorney-client relationship.