Brunswick News. March 8, 2022.
Editorial: Fleeing from police should always be a felony
House Bill 1216 is a perfect example of just how lax laws have become. A fourth conviction — a fourth, mind you — of fleeing police in Georgia would be felony under this new legislation.
Not a first, second or third conviction of attempting to flee police, but a fourth would ascend to the seriousness of a felony. Until an individual hits No. 4, the charge will remain a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
A first offense ought to be a felony. A fleeing driver puts every life in the path of the speeding vehicle in grave jeopardy, not to mention his own and those of pursuing police officers.
Nevertheless, the measure made it through the state House on a 95-62 vote. It now goes to the Senate.
Suspects trying to escape police in chases that often exceed 100 mph occur quite frequently. And now citizens know why. There is not much of a penalty awaiting them if or when caught. Why not gamble?
Facts cited by supporters of the bill are indeed disquieting. Since April 2021, troopers with the Georgia State Patrol have been involved in more than 500 pursuits in metro Atlanta alone.
Then there is the rest of the state. Police in the Golden Isles experience more than their fair share of them. One just recently, a chase that began in Camden County ended with a fatality in Glynn County.
An individual who tries twice and fails to evade peace officers and who receives a slap on the wrist from the judicial...
New Delhi / Atlanta: Indian-origin doctor Dr. Jitendra Patel, along with his Atlanta-based clinic Advanced Urology, has agreed to a settlement of approximately 161 crore (USD 14 million) to resolv...