Georgia has passed the second edition of a criminal justice bill in an attempt to make the state “smarter on crime.”
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has signed House Bill 349 in Marietta. This piece of legislation means judges now have the option to avoid enforcing mandatory minimum sentences in specific situations. From now on, Georgia judges will have the option to look at cases on an individualized basis and can vary from existing sentence guidelines in a drug-related case where the defendant is not main suspect in a criminal enterprise. It is now up to the judge’s discretion to give a less harsh sentence when such a defendant has been convicted.
Governor Deal told reporters, “Public safety will be improved by giving prosecutors leverage in certain cases and by ensuring that our prison resources are reserved for the ‘kingpins’ while the ‘mules’ are given a chance at reform.”
This legislation also institutes the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Commission. This council will perform reviews of the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Governor Deal will appoint 15 members to serve four-year terms on the council. There will be ten state officials and five additional members, also appointed by Deal.
Here at the Law Office of Scott Miller, we are pleased that criminal justice is now under closer examination and that improvement of the justice system is now to become an ongoing project. We believe that this new legislation means it is now the best time to hire a Georgia defense attorney for a drug-related crime. The state is focused on rehabilitating defendants and with minimum sentences being abolished, the right lawyer can get you the best possible outcome in your criminal case.
