Bill Text: GA HR250 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Georgia House Resolution 250 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: District attorneys; invest in public safety and prevention, not death penalty; urge

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-15 - House Second Readers [HR250 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HR250-Introduced.html

11 LC 29 4530

House Resolution 250

By: Representatives Benfield of the 85th, Morgan of the 39th, Henson of the 87th, Bell of the 58th, Brooks of the 63rd, and others

A RESOLUTION

Urging Georgia's district attorneys, in light of the fiscal crisis in this state, to invest resources in solving homicides, providing public safety programs, and focusing on violence prevention instead of seeking the death penalty; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the death penalty has not only been rejected by a large majority of nations and most major religions but is also not used by 15 of the states in our nation; and

WHEREAS, one hundred and thirty-eight innocent people have been freed from death rows across the United States after spending years in prison for crimes they did not commit, some coming within days or hours of execution; and

WHEREAS, life is the most valuable possession of a human being, and there has been increasing public awareness of individuals wrongfully convicted of murder, in Georgia and elsewhere in the nation; and

WHEREAS, statistics have shown that there are demographic disparities in the application of the death penalty; and

WHEREAS, there is public concern that racial and socioeconomic factors influence decisions to seek or impose the death penalty, and no meaningful procedure exists to ensure uniform application of the death penalty in each county throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, in order for the state to protect its moral and ethical integrity, the state must ensure a justice system that is impartial, uncorrupted, equitable, and competent, and further study is necessary to ensure that the state is fulfilling its obligation in this sense and, therefore, a moratorium on administration of the death penalty is warranted; and

WHEREAS, death penalty cases cost Georgia taxpayers millions of dollars more than permanent incarcerations but do not make citizens any safer, and the resources used on death penalty prosecutions could be better used to solve more crimes, expand and improve services to crime victims, and provide for other effective public safety programs; and

WHEREAS, the cities and counties of this state are facing a severe financial crisis and have had to cut services needed to keep their neighborhoods safe, including furloughing and laying off law enforcement personnel, and counties could save millions of dollars each year by choosing to invest resources in proven violence prevention programs instead of directing such money toward seeking the death penalty.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge Georgia's district attorneys to stop pursuing the death penalty and invest their time and resources in solving homicides, providing effective public safety programs, and focusing on violence prevention.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of the State of Georgia and each of the District Attorneys of this state.