THE ATTORNEYS:
JOHN LUKE WEAVER:
John Luke was born and raised in Jasper, Georgia. His roots run deep in the North Georgia Mountains. His family has lived in the area since the 1840s. After graduating from Pickens County High School he attended Berry College where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government. While at Berry he was the President of his graduating c
lass, advisor to the Dean, and recipient of the Voice of Berry Award, which goes to the student who best advocates for student interests. After college John Luke attended Law School at The University of Georgia in Athens. While there he was on the Executive Board of the Mock Trial Team and served as the Closing Argument Coordinator. He also served as the President and Founder of the Rural Law Society, a group dedicated to bringing quality legal representation to rural Georgia. Weaver also took part in the Prosecution Clinic Program. In the program he worked at the Cobb County Solicitor's office prosecuting DUIs and other misdemeanors. John Luke furthered his clinical experience by working at the Athens-Clarke County District Attorney's Office prosecuting felonies. In both Athens and Cobb he prosecuted cases to jury verdict, being the first person in his graduating class to go in front of a jury. John Luke believes in the importance of the jury trial and believes trials are needed for holding prosecutors and police accountable for their actions and necessary to protect the freedom of our citizens. Since graduation from law school Mr. Weaver has worked in the areas of criminal law and family law almost exclusively. In other work experience John Luke has coordinated various political campaigns, including the get-out-the vote effort for a presidential campaign in Arkansas in 2008. He has also worked internationally for the Irish Government in Dublin, Ireland. Locally, John Luke worked for his grandfather as a Heating and Air-conditioning installer for many years at Denson Heating and Air. He also called basketball games for the Pickens Dragons on WYYZ radio in Jasper. Outside of work, John Luke enjoys fishing, hiking, traveling, rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs, and collecting vinyl records. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Jasper, and active in various community groups across North Georgia, such as the Downtown Merchants Association and Chamber of Commerce. RAY:
Michael was born and raised in Jasper, Georgia and graduated from Pickens County High School in 1999. After graduation, Michael attended Kennesaw State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. While attending Kennesaw, Michael was a member of the KSU Mock Trial Team, and during his senior year, he was named captain. Those years competing in mock trial saw several regional and national competitions and victories. During the Des Moines, Iowa American Mock Trial Association National Championship, Michael was named All-American out of thousands of other students. After completing his undergraduate studies, Michael enrolled in the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. During law school, Michael was on the student advisory council for Moot Court and Mock Trial. Michael received certificates of merit in Trial Skills and Forensic Evidence in Criminal Cases. Michael was also the mock trial coach for the Hazel Park mock trial team and author of the Thomas M. Cooley moot court problem in 2007. After Law School, Michael was hired as the staff attorney for the Honorable Amanda H. Mercier and Roger E. Bradley, Superior Court Judges, in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit comprising of Pickens, Gilmer, and Fannin Counties. In 2013, Michael joined the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, and in 2014 became Chief Assistant District Attorney. In 2017, Michael entered private practice. Michael’s primary practice is criminal defense, focusing mainly on larger complex cases and criminal jury trials. Michael has tried all manner of cases as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, including murder, r**e, armed robbery, kidnapping, sexual assaults, ma*****na grow operations, trafficking narcotics, driving under the influence, domestic violence, and many others. Michael also does criminal appeals and has argued before both the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court. Michael lives in Jasper with his wife Lindsey and their labradoodle Sydney.
