Jeff Manciagli, Trial Attorney
Experienced Atlanta Federal and State Criminal Defense Attorney
My name is Jeff Manciagli and I have been practicing law for over 30 years.
My practice is devoted to criminal defense in State and Federal courts. Most of my cases are drug-related – drug conspiracies and drug trafficking – but I also handle crimes of violence such as murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery and sex offenses such as sexual assault and child molestation.
My office is in Atlanta, Georgia but I have handled cases in numerous other states and have represented clients who have been extradited to the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean. I have also consulted with clients in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
My father immigrated to the U.S. from Sicily when he was 20 years old. He met my mother, who was from a small town in upstate NY while finishing up his university degree. He landed a job with a multinational company and spent almost his entire career overseas. I lived in six different countries before the age of 18. I finished junior high in Caracas, Venezuela, and graduated from the International School of Bangkok in Thailand. In a number of the schools I attended, more than 35 different nationalities were represented. I loved every minute of it.
In the United States and throughout the Americas, Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and other people of color have been vilified, targeted, and put down for hundreds of years and consequently make up a vastly disproportionate amount of our prison population – the largest in the world. When thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I decided that the criminal justice system was where I could make a difference.
Since I was a kid, I have rooted for the underdog – and there is no bigger underdog than a person being accused of a crime by their state or federal government. Criminal defense gave me an opportunity to do more than root for the underdog – it gave me the opportunity to actually defend them. Every one of my clients enjoys the rights set out in the Constitution and I make sure that those rights are protected. To the best of my ability, I work for them to obtain the best possible outcome. It’s an awesome responsibility, but also a great privilege.
My background has proved useful in my practice in several ways. Many of my clients are Latino immigrants who speak little or no English with whom I am able to communicate in their native language. Beyond that, I can identify in a meaningful way with just about everyone who comes into my office, no matter where they’re from because I have known people just like them. I have gone to school with them, I have lived and socialized with them, I have eaten the food that they eat. These kinds of bonds are critical to establishing trust and confidence with my clients.
Outside of work, I’m an amateur photographer – mostly street photography. Wherever I travel, my cameras go with me. I can spend hours on end roaming a city, taking pictures. It’s almost a form of meditation for me. There’s some overlap between photography and a jury trial. A good photograph tells a story, and a good trial attorney does the same thing. Storytelling is essential to the successful outcome of both. Attention to detail is also important. If a photograph isn’t framed properly it rarely works. You have to know what should be in the frame and what should be left out. And attention to the details at trial can make the difference between a verdict of guilty and an acquittal.
If you have been accused of drug trafficking or drug conspiracy, or any other serious felony offense, I would welcome the opportunity to be your attorney. I understand that your freedom is at stake and that the outcome of your case will likely have a profound impact on your family, one way or the other. I will always be honest with you; I will treat you with respect; and I will do everything I can to obtain the best possible outcome.