CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The Cherokee County Solicitor-General announced the start of a new diversion program for first-time offenders who violate Georgia’s family violence laws. According to a letter sent by Solicitor-General Todd Hayes, the program starts March 1, allowing defendants to receive treatment and counseling for first-time family violence charges. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks ] The program has a limited eligibility for potential applicants. The defendants in question must be low-risk, first-time family violence suspects. To apply for the program, offenders have to send in their request within 60 days of an arrest. “The program will be available to first-time defenders charged with certain family violence-related offenses. My office policy detailing the parameters of the program is attached for your convenience. As you will see, participants may be required to complete a 24-week Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP), perform community service, and comply with other conditions tailored to their case,” Hayes wrote to the President of the Blue Ridge Bar Association. Hayes said in his letter that the goal of the program was to fast-tra
