The Senate is set to consider the Georgia Survivor Justice Act, which passed the House with overwhelming support.
The bill calls for judges to resentence incarcerated individuals and impose shorter sentences on those convicted of crimes if they can demonstrate a connection to domestic abuse. It would also expand the types of supporting evidence that can be presented in court.
The legislation would make it easier for courts to consider domestic violence in cases involving self-defense or when victims were coerced into committing a crime—situations that are commonly reported.
Under the bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence, or child abuse contributed to a crime that would typically result in a life sentence, the judge would, in most cases, be required to instead impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years.
