Bill > SB482

This bill modifies Georgia law regarding public access to certain law enforcement records, specifically booking photographs and law enforcement videos, and also addresses the disclosure of recordings depicting a person's death. For booking photographs and law enforcement videos, individuals requesting these records must now provide the first and last name of the person depicted or, for videos, the approximate date, time, and location of the encounter, and submit a notarized statement affirming compliance with the law. Requests for these records, except by the individual depicted or their representative, must be made in person and as separate requests for each item. However, bona fide credentialed members of the Georgia Press Association or Georgia Association of Broadcasters are exempt from these new requirements. The bill also introduces an exemption for audio or video recordings that depict a person's death or immediate distress preceding it, preventing their public disclosure unless requested by the deceased's next of kin or someone with their written release. In closed criminal investigations, a court may order disclosure of such death-related recordings if it's deemed in the public interest and outweighs privacy concerns, but only after providing at least two weeks' notice to the next of kin. This exemption does not apply to legal proceedings for convicted defendants or to requests from credentialed members of the Georgia Press Association or Georgia Association of Broadcasters.

Justice

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73034