Gov. Deal Signs Bill in Cobb

Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday signed a second round of criminal justice reforms, and Cobb was his backdrop.

Following remarks at the Marietta Kiwanis Club, Deal signed House Bill 349, which he called “another step in the right direction in making Georgia smarter on crime.”

HB 349 restores judicial discretion, allows a departure from mandatory minimum sentences in very limited circumstances; creates a commission that will monitor the effectiveness of the juvenile justice and criminal justice systems; contains provisions to keep communities safer; and permits people who have earned a HOPE GED voucher while incarcerated to use it within two years of release.

“Public safety will be improved by giving prosecutors leverage in certain cases and by ensuring that our prison resources are reserved for the ‘kingpins’ while the ‘mules’ are given a chance at reform,” Deal said in a statement.

HB 349 is a follow-up to HB 1176, the criminal justice reform act of 2012. It includes several pieces of legislation that Douglas County District Attorney David McDade co-wrote and sponsored on behalf of the District Attorney Association of Georgia. McDade is that group's legislative affairs chairman.