Evan A. Watson

Evan Watson defends Georgia.  Whether you have been arrested  in  Cumming, Alpharetta, Milton, John's Creek, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, or surrounding cities, Evan has been there and defended hundreds in each of these courts.  Evan also regularly defends clients in the Forsyth County court system, as well as surrounding counties- Fulton, Hall, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Dawson, Lumpkin, etc.  Since Evan began practicing law in 2008, he has devoted 100% of his pracitce to appearing in these courts on a daily basis, making the connections and achieving the results that will pay off in your defense. 

Evan is a criminal defense specialist.  Evan's annual training, speaking engagements, and almost daily court appearances help him to stay up to date on the latest in DUI and criminal defense, from courtroom presence to scientific evidence.  

No two cases are the same, and no two defenses should be.  Call Evan directly at or email him at for a direct response. 

Education & Background:

Evan A. Watson is an graduate of Charleston (SC) School of Law.  While attending law school, he received the prestigious American Jurisprudence award and made the Dean’s List.  During law school, Evan worked in a variety of positions during summer clerkships, including acting as a law clerk for Atlanta-based Ginsberg Law Offices, handling documentation required for bankruptcy petitions and related financial paperwork.

Mr. Watson also clerked for the City of Sandy Springs, plus worked as a researcher and draftsman on documents relating to trademark applications for a South Carolina biotech company.  Immediately before joining Head, Thomas, Webb & Willis, LLC, Mr. Watson was a legal Intern handling traffic court cases for Riley, Lewis & McClendon, an Atlanta firm whose primary practice deals with representing various municipalities in overseeing and managing several Metro Atlanta municipal court prosecutors’ offices.

Prior to his entry into law school, Evan attended The Citadel in Charleston, SC, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  While attending The Citadel, he was named to the Commandant’s List (for Academic and Military Excellence), made the Dean’s List and was named as E Company Executive Officer.

Evan currently handles a range of criminal defense cases and will be happy to give you a consultation about your case, no matter how big or small. 

 2021:

2021 was a year of courts attempting to get back into the swing of things.  To this end, Evan conducted the first in-person jury trials in 2 local court systems since March of 2020.  Evan was able to secure a not guilty jury verdict on behalf of a client charged with Boating Under the Influence, which likely spared the client a minimum of 60+ days in jail. 

2020: 

Despite a global pandemic that all but shut down the court system, Evan and his team were able to close dozens of cases with successful resolutions, and even emerge victorious in two complete virtual hearings- one TRIAL and one IMMUNITY MOTION. During the trial, all witnesses testified virtually, including defense witnesses, which resulted in a not guilty verdict as to the primary charge of DUI.  During the immunity hearing, again, all witnesses testified virtually, which resulted in the trial judge finding that the client was acting reasonably and in self defense when he struck the other party, knocking him to the roadway outside of his vehicle.  Waiving the right to be present in open court was not a decision taken lightly in either of these cases, but ultimately Evan's ability to read the situation lead to the winning result for his clients. 

2019: 

Evan and his firm (Zeliff | Watson) continue to thrive in 2019.  Evan's successes for clients include courtroom victories in pretrial motions hearings, bench trials, jury trials, and working with fellow lawyers in the community to help clients settle civil matters.  In one instance, Evan and co-counsel were able to negotiate a settlement in mediation that resulted in 5-figure compensation for a client wrongfully detained (briefly) at the direction of a local retailer.  Evan also had acquittals in DUI cases from judges and juries, as well as negotiating over 100+ cases to resolution. 

2017:

2017 has been a teriffic year for Evan and his lawfirm of Zeliff | Watson.  Evan and his law partner Peter Zeliff have had well over a dozen trials, with a winning record.  Additionally, many more cases have been favorably resolved for clients seeking dismissal of their charges, from theft crimes to DUI to family violence situations.  

2013:

In 2013, Evan  won several tough trials including 2 DUI .08+ jury trial in Fulton County, a DUI refusal in Fulton County, and DUI refusal bench trial in Gwinnett County.  Evan has also been lead counsel in numerous felony cases including clients charged with drug possession, aggravated assault, and various theft crimes.  Evan's current caseload includes DUI cases, theft cases, vehicular homicide cases, assault cases and drug possession cases. 

2012 Update:

In 2012, Evan won all 6 DUI jury trials that he was lead counsel in.  Additionally, he won bench trials in front of area judges and obtained reduced or dismissed charges for clients.

2011 Update:

In July 2011, Evan Watson partnered with Lawyer Peter Zeliff to start Zeliff | Watson, a Cumming and North Atlanta criminal defense and DUI defense lawfirm.  Both attorneys have handled hundreds of cases and have experience in virtually every court in the North Georgia district.