Bill Text: GA SR155 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Georgia's District Attorneys; urged to invest in resources in solving homicides, providing public safety program instead of seeking death penalty
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-15 - Senate Read and Referred [SR155 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-SR155-Introduced.html
11 LC 29
4551
Senate
Resolution 155
By:
Senators Fort of the 39th, Orrock of the 36th and Tate of the 38th
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 SENATE 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 Secretary of the Senate 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.
