TITLE 17 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

Section 17. Crime Victims' Bill of Rights, 17-17-1 through 17-17-16.

ARTICLE 2 MISDEMEANOR CASES

17-17-13. Notification to victim of impending parole, release for period exceeding 60 days, or pardon; notice of hearing on request to commute death sentence.

The State Board of Pardons and Paroles shall give 20 days' advance notification to a victim whenever it considers making a final decision to grant parole, release a defendant for a period exceeding 60 days, or grant a pardon; and the board shall provide the victim with an opportunity to file a written objection to such action. Within 72 hours of receiving a request to commute a death sentence, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles shall provide notification to a victim of the date set for hearing such request and provide such victim an opportunity to file a written response to such request. No notification to the victim need be given unless the victim has expressed a desire for such notification and has provided the State Board of Pardons and Paroles with a current mailing or e-mail address and telephone number. Failure of the victim to inform the board of a change of address or telephone number shall not void a decision of the board.

(Code 1981, §17-17-13, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 385, § 2; Ga. L. 2015, p. 207, § 1/HB 71.)

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2015, in the first sentence, inserted a comma following "parole", deleted "or any other manner or executive clemency action" preceding "release a defendant" and inserted ", or grant a pardon"; added the present second sentence; and in the third sentence, inserted "to the victim" near the beginning, deleted "objection to release or has expressed" preceding "a desire" near the middle, and inserted "mailing or e-mail" near the end; and added the last sentence.