Advocates seek law change to end citizen arrests in Georgia [View all]
Source: Associated Press
Jeff Amy, Associated Press
Updated 1:55 pm CDT, Monday, July 13, 2020
ATLANTA (AP) — Civil rights groups called for Georgia lawmakers to repeal the state's 19th-century citizen's arrest law Monday, but some Republican lawmakers voiced concerns that without the law, property owners might not have the authority to detain thieves until police arrive.
The law came under fire after it was initially used as a justification for the white men who shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, near Brunswick in February. The law also factored into the claims last year by a white woman that she was justified in shooting a Black man in Clayton County. In both those cases, additional evidence has dispelled the notions that the shooters could use the law to justify their actions.
Advocates say the law is steeped in racism and slavery, and was used to round up suspected escaped slaves and then as a justification for the lynching of African Americans.
“The broad language of this statute has dangerously allowed for private citizens to take the law into their own hands, which ultimately would always lead to devastating consequences,” state NAACP President James Woodall said. He argued that private citizens are likely more biased against African Americans, and face no scrutiny, unlike police.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Advocates-seek-law-change-to-end-citizen-arrests-15404947.php
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