Georgia Republican Lawmakers File Public Safety Bills

by T.A. DeFeo

 

Georgia Republicans are moving forward with a series of bills they say will help protect residents and hold prosecutors in the state accountable.

“We’re seeing a pattern around the state of people who are committing violent crimes,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones, a Republican, told The Center Square. “They’re being processed through basically signature bonds, and a signature bond is nothing more than … a promissory note, and we believe that it’s happening on a lot larger scale than a lot of people realize.”

State Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, introduced Senate Bill 63 to expand the list of offenses that require bail or surety and will require many repeat offenders to post bail or surety.

“This is common sense legislation that streamlines the judicial process while providing Georgia families with another level of safety that has been stripped away in many states around our country,” Robertson said in a statement.

Senate Floor Leader Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, introduced Senate Bill 44. It creates a new offense for recruiting minors to gangs and establishes mandatory minimum sentences for gang offenses.

“Enhancing gang sentencing across the board will ensure tough prison sentences for more gang offenders while offering a strong incentive for those accused of gang activity to cooperate with prosecutors,” Hatchett said in a statement.

Meanwhile, House Republicans have introduced legislation they say will hold prosecutors accountable.

“While most district attorneys and solicitor generals are hard-working public servants seeking justice for victims, others have sullied and called into question the integrity of our criminal justice system through their unethical behavior,” state Rep. Joseph Gullett, R-Dallas, said in a statement.

House Bill 229 would codify that a district attorney and a solicitor general must review every case if probable cause for prosecution exists. Under the legislation, prosecutors that do not do so could face a recall, and the legislation also lowers the threshold of signatures to recall a prosecutor.

A second measure, House Bill 231, would create the Prosecuting Attorneys Oversight Commission, a panel similar to the Judicial Qualifications Committee for judges, to oversee prosecutors accused of wrongdoing.

“If a prosecutor is not doing his or her job, we need a system in state law to remove that individual from office,” state Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, said in a statement.

Additionally, state Sen. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville, introduced Senate Bill 68. It adds dogfighting to the “racketeering activity” list under the state’s racketeering and organized crime statute.

“No one should abuse dogs for entertainment or profit, and this legislation will give police and prosecutors another tool to properly go after those engaged in this criminal activity,” Williams said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the first legislation the Senate passed this session, Senate Bill 11, the “Georgia Fights Terrorism Act,” gives the Georgia Bureau of Investigation jurisdiction over terrorism crimes.

“Georgia has some of the strongest terrorism laws in the nation,” state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, said in a statement.

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T.A. DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square. 
Photo “Randy Robertson” by Randy Robertson. Photo “Bo Hatchett” by Bo Hatchett for State Senate. Photo “Joseph Gullett” by Joseph Gullett for State House. Photo “Rick Williams” by Rick Williams. Background Photo “Georgia Capitol” by Autiger. CC BY-SA 2.0.