Two groups have filed a federal lawsuit to block a portion of a state law they say prohibits charity bail work.
The ACLU of Georgia and the Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy filed the lawsuit on Friday, asking a judge to declare Section 4 of Georgia Senate Bill 63 unconstitutional and issue a temporary injunction blocking the law from taking effect on July 1.
The groups filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Atlanta-based nonprofit Bird Business Foundation and John Cole Bodica and Steve Williams, members of Oconee Street United Methodist Church in Athens.
Vodica coordinates a charitable bail fund administered by the church’s Justice and Outreach Committee, and Williams volunteers with the project.
“SB63 “This system is cruel and expensive, leaving people languishing in prison because they cannot afford the costs of their release, and barring others from helping to secure their release,” Corey Isaacson, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said in a statement.
“With this law, Georgia is making it illegal to exercise your First Amendment right to help people who are incarcerated solely because they are poor,” Isaacson added. “This is spiteful and unconstitutional, and we hope the court will step in to stop the state from causing further harm.”
Earlier this month, Vail Project announced it would close its Atlanta location effective June 10 as a result of SB63.
A spokesman for Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, a Republican who sponsored the bill, had no immediate comment on the legislation. Instead, they point to a statement from May. The order came into effect after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill.
“The passage of these bills will allow law enforcement to do their jobs and ensure criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Governor Jones said in a statement in May. “We will not allow criminals to roam our streets free, and these bills continue our efforts to keep Georgians safe.”
