Criminal Justice
State lawmakers poised to revisit compensation bill for wrongly convicted Georgians
The harsh reality for many wrongly convicted Georgians is that after spending decades locked away by the state, they are released without a financial safety net of any kind. So, getting absolved of guilt provides only a bit of solace. Thirty-five states, the federal government, and Washington, D.C., maintain laws establishing a fair and efficient […]
Lawmakers debate violence against abortion clinics, anti-abortion pregnancy centers
WASHINGTON — Republicans at a U.S. House hearing aired frustration with the Department of Justice this week for what they contended is a lack of enforcement of a Clinton-era law that protects access to reproductive health care at anti-abortion pregnancy centers and abortion clinics. GOP lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee expressed anger the Federal […]
Fulton County DA Willis rebuts Trump’s efforts to remove her from 2020 election probe
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is rebuking Donald Trump’s attorneys’ claims that she should be dismissed from an investigation into his interference in the 2020 presidential election due to alleged political bias and a tainted investigation. The Democratic district attorney filed a 24-page response on Monday to the former Republican president’s motion for her […]
Georgia State awards diplomas to first graduating class at Walker State Prison
It’s the time of the year when young men and women turn their tassels, toss their caps into the sky and dream about a bright future. But one group of graduates from Georgia’s class of 23 stands out from the rest. “The thing that makes us want to do it, those of us who have […]
Kemp signs crime crackdown bills into law, including tough new penalties for gangs recruiting minors
A bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp at a Lake Lanier resort on Wednesday creates a five-year mandatory prison sentence for gang-related offenses and adds five years for recruiting minors into gangs. Senate Bill 44, Kemp’s signature crime-fighting measure for 2023, was part of a package of public safety bills signed by the Republican governor […]
Georgia GOP clampdown on street gangs gets Legislature OK
During the marathon final day of the 2023 Georgia legislative session, lawmakers late Wednesday sent the governor approved highly divisive law-and-order bill that stiffen prison sentences for street gang offenses and would also lead to more criminal charges requiring accused offenders to post bond to get out of jail. With the backing of the Republican-majority […]
Prosecutor oversight bill headed to Kemp; local control concerns dismissed
The Georgia General Assembly sent a controversial bill to the governor’s desk Monday to create a new disciplinary board for the state’s local district attorneys. On the 39th day of the 40-day legislative session, the GOP-controlled House approved the creation of a prosecuting attorneys oversight commission by a 92-77 vote, largely along party lines. The […]
Georgia lawmakers poised to create oversight panel with power to remove local prosecutors
Momentum continues to build in the Georgia Legislature for a proposed law that could allow state officials to remove district attorneys from office for misconduct. The Georgia House moved a step closer this week to establishing a prosecutor oversight commission, the first of its kind in Georgia, as the House Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill […]
Trump’s possible arrest by Manhattan DA blasted by U.S. House GOP leaders
Former President Donald Trump’s claim that he would be arrested Tuesday had not materialized by early evening on the East Coast, but U.S. House Republicans harshly criticized any such move as an abuse of prosecutorial authority. In an all-caps post to his social media site, Truth Social, on Saturday, Trump predicted that he would be […]
Georgia House panel hears district attorneys debate need for state oversight of county prosecutors
Georgia district attorneys faced off Wednesday over a proposed state-appointed commission that could remove prosecutors from office for abuse of power or negligence in pursuing some cases. Douglas County and Coweta County district attorneys were among the witnesses to testify Wednesday at an two hour meeting before a House Judiciary subcommittee that is expected to […]
Georgia House panel advances Kemp-backed bill to toughen gang penalties
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s gang crackdown legislation is on track to become the first tough-on-crime law to move through the Georgia Legislature in 2023. The Kemp-backed Senate Bill 44 was advanced by a House judiciary subcommittee on Monday by a party line vote, creating a mandatory five-year prison sentence for gang-related offenses and adding another […]
Georgia GOP lawmakers aim to continue tough-on-crime push as legislative calendar winds down
Georgia’s legislators head into the final stretch of a 2023 session with a number of tough-on-crime bills that will escalate criminal penalties for unruly protesters, misdemeanor offenses and street gangs and shift the balance of power of prosecutors and judges. Several Republican-backed law-and-order bills cleared the March 6 deadline for legislation to advance to the […]