ATLANTA – State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) will serve as a panelist during the Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights virtual panel discussion on Monday, May 10, 2021, at 12 p.m. via WebEx. To register for the virtual event, please click here. To participate via phone call, please dial 800-360-9595; the access code is 199 105 0985.
This event will feature testimony on the impact of civil asset forfeiture on communities of color in the state. During the discussion event, Rep. Scott will discuss House Bill 19, legislation she introduced to address civil forfeitures in Georgia. There will be an open comment period near the end of the meeting, and this committee will also accept written testimony submitted to mwojnaroski@usccr.gov.
“It is time that we reduce the number of illegal civil forfeiture cases in Georgia,” said Rep. Scott. “Georgia was given a grade of D- by the Institute for Justice. They stated that Georgia has a low bar to forfeit and no conviction requirements, poor protections for innocent third-party property owners, and as much as 100 percent of forfeiture proceeds in Georgia go to law enforcement. These are the exact reasons why House Bill 19 is needed in the state of Georgia. We should not be taking innocent people’s belongings because they were arrested.”
HB 19 would increase the burden of proof for the state in civil forfeiture proceedings by specifically upgrading the state’s burden of proof from a “preponderance of the evidence” to “clear and convincing evidence.” It would also require the state to provide public defenders in civil forfeiture proceedings that result from certain criminal cases, and the circuit public defender would also be required to provide representation in any case prosecuted in a Georgia Superior Court in which there is a possibility that a sentence of imprisonment, probation or a suspended sentence of imprisonment may be adjudged.
For more information on HB 19, please click here.
WHO: Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex)
WHAT: Virtual Panel Discussion
WHEN: Monday, May 10, 2021
12 p.m.
WHERE: WebEx Registration: https://bit.ly/3mvDOh2
Dial-In: 800-360-9505
Access Code: 199 105 0985
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