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Georgia Senate decreases signature bond offenses
The recent violence and protests surrounding the planned Atlanta Police Training Center have now sparked state lawmakers to act. This afternoon, members of the State Senate approved a bill adding more offenses to the list of what are known as "Bail Restricted Offenses." Those are offenses for which a judge must set bond and cannot release someone with just a signature.
ATLANTA - After a back and forth debate Thursday, members of the Georgia Senate approved a bill that adds dozens more offenses to the list for which judges cannot release someone on "unsecured judicial release" or a "signature bond."
Currently, murder, kidnapping, rape and other violent offenses require a cash bond. Senate Bill 63 adds crimes including reckless stunt driving, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, criminal trespass, identity fraud, inciting a riot and domestic terrorism.
State Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, filed the legislation days after protests over a planned Atlanta police training facility turned violent.
"The training site issue that led to the shooting of a law enforcement officer and the shooting of a citizen and the burning of resources from the Atlanta Police Department [...] this just catches those into that net," explained Sen. Robertson. "So that the citizens and the victims are assured that they'll have the opportunity to have their day in court with the accused there."
Democrats, however, said the bill will hurt low income people accused of non-violent crimes.
"The problem is that cash bail uses the most blunt weapon that we have to try to attack crime and that is jail," said state Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs.
Sen. McLaurin said keeping people behind bars because they cannot pay a cash bond often exacerbates the problems they face by forcing them to miss work, medical treatments and their families.
"There are statistics on this," said Sen. McLaurin. "Defendants held in jail for 2 to 3 days after arrest are 39% more likely to be arrested on [a] new charge, while the first case is pending than people who are released."
State Sen. Nabilah Islam, D-Lawrenceville, also said including crimes like unlawful assembly could have a chilling effect.
"This bill and others demonstrate a dangerous new habit of using the criminal justice system to silence those who would criticize Georgia's laws through non-violent civil disobedience," said Sen. Islam.
Sen. Robertson and other Republicans argued that lawmakers should consider crime victims.
"I hate to point this out to you, but the most victims of crime are not the wealthy, especially violent crime. They're the poor. Those are the ones we're trying to protect. So, the poverty argument, I hate to say, when it comes to being tough on crime or giving fair bonds, I'm afraid the tank is empty," said Sen. Robertson.
Senators passed the bill along party lines. It still needs approval from the House of Representatives.