Bill Text: GA SB213 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Crime Stopper Award Funds; establish; provide awards for information leading to the detection/apprehension of criminal perpetrators

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-07 - Senate Read and Referred [SB213 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-SB213-Introduced.html

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11 LC 35 2124

Senate Bill 213

By: Senator McKoon of the 29th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Article 1 of Chapter 21 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions for payment and disposition of fines and forfeitures, so as to establish local Crime Stopper Award Funds to provide awards for information leading to the detection or apprehension of certain criminal perpetrators; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 1 of Chapter 21 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions for payment and disposition of fines and forfeitures, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"15-21-14.

(a) In every case in which any state court; probate court; juvenile court; police, recorder's, or mayor's court; municipal court; magistrate court; or superior court in this state imposes a fine, which shall be construed to include costs, for any criminal or quasi-criminal offense against a criminal or traffic law and violations of local criminal ordinances of this state or a political subdivision thereof, there shall be imposed an additional fee of $5.00.

(b) Such sums shall be in addition to that amount required by any other provision of law to be paid as a fine, fee, penalty, restitution, and any other amounts provided for by law.

(c) The sums provided for in this Code section shall be assessed and collected by the clerk or court officer charged with the duty of collecting moneys arising from fines and shall be paid over to the governing authority of the county or consolidated government in which the court is located or, in the case of a court of a municipality, to the governing authority of the municipality by the tenth day of the month following the month in which such sums are collected. Such sums paid over to the governing authority shall be deposited by the governing authority into a special account to be known as the Crime Stopper Award Fund.

(d) Any person whose duty it is to collect and remit the sums provided for in this Code section who fails or refuses to remit such sums by the date required by this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(e) Moneys collected pursuant to this Code section shall be expended by the governing authority of the county or municipality for which the fund is established solely and exclusively for awards for information leading to the detection or apprehension of the perpetrator of any felony committed within such governing authority's jurisdiction. Awards shall be offered at a time and in an amount within the discretion of the governing authority; provided, however, that any single reward offered by a county, municipality, or consolidated government shall not exceed the sum of $10,000.00."

SECTION 2.

This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2011, and shall apply to convictions entered on or after such date.

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.