Atlanta News First
These crimes now require cash bail in Georgia
Story by Tim Darnell
• 1w • 2 min read
Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation attempt to pressure Fulton County commissioners to abolish cash bail to relieve jail overcrowding© Atlanta News First
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A new Georgia law requiring cash bail for 30 additional crimes - including 18 that are sometimes misdemeanors - was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday.
Kemp signed
Senate Bill 63 and nine other
new crime and public safety measures passed by the
most recent General Assembly on Wednesday at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia, a facility located along I-75 near Macon.
The bill
also limits charitable bail funds or even individuals from bailing multiple people out of jail, reserving that ability only to those who meet legal requirements to be bail bond companies.
Opponents said the bill would roll back changes that were passed almost unanimously in 2018 under then-Gov. Nathan Deal. That law allowed judges to release many people accused of misdemeanors without bail.
When the bill was passed, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Georgia said, “Cash bail systems hurt people who cannot afford to pay and do not make communities safer. The state of Georgia is moving backward in terms of people being equal before the law regardless of how much money they have.”
The measure was adopted by lawmakers along straight party-line votes.
Georgia’s 30 crimes now qualified as “bail restricted offenses:”
1. Reckless stunt driving provided that such offense is the person’s second or subsequent offense;
2. Promoting or organizing an exhibition of drag races or laying drags;
3. Laying drags;
4. Reckless driving provided that such offense is the person’s second or subsequent offense;
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5. Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer;
6. Obstruction of a law enforcement officer;
7. Criminal trespass provided that such offense is the person’s second or subsequent offense;
8. Theft by taking provided that such offense is the person’s second or subsequent offense;
9. Theft by deception;
10. Theft by extortion;
11. Destruction, removal, concealment, encumbrance, or transfer of property subject to security interest;
12. Bribery;
13. Purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of controlled substances or marijuana;
14. Forgery;
15. Exploitation and intimidation of disabled adults, elder persons, and residents or obstruction of an investigation;
16. Battery;
17. Voluntary manslaughter;
18. Cruelty to animals;
19. Violation of oath by a public officer;
20. Financial transaction card fraud;
21. Financial transaction card theft;
22. Identity fraud;
23. Racketeering and conspiracy;
24. Trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude;
25. Failure to appear provided that such offense is the person’s second or subsequent offense;
26. Domestic terrorism;
27. Riot;
28. Inciting to riot;
29. Unlawful assembly;
30. Possession of tools for commission of a crime.
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