| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 62 0002 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Bill 214 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Bell of the 75 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Carpenter of the 4 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Willis of the 55 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Clark of the 108 |
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| 10 | 10 | | th |
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| 11 | 11 | | , |
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| 12 | 12 | | and Neal of the 79 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | To amend Code Section 24-9-923 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | admissibility of photographs, motion pictures, video recordings, and audio recordings when2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | witness unavailable, so as to provide that creative and artistic expression evidence is3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | inadmissible at trial; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to repeal4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1.7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Code Section 24-9-923 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to admissibility8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | of photographs, motion pictures, video recordings, and audio recordings when witness9 |
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| 27 | 27 | | unavailable, is amended by revising subsection (b) as follows:10 |
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| 28 | 28 | | "(b)(1) |
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| 29 | 29 | | Subject to any other valid objection, photographs, motion pictures, video11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | recordings, and audio recordings shall be admissible in evidence when necessitated by12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | the unavailability of a witness who can provide personal authentication and when the13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | court determines, based on competent evidence presented to the court, that such items14 |
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| 33 | 33 | | tend to show reliably the fact or facts for which the items are offered.15 |
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| 34 | 34 | | H. B. 214 |
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| 35 | 35 | | - 1 - 25 LC 62 0002 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) As used in this paragraph, the term 'creative or artistic expression' means the16 |
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| 37 | 37 | | expression or application of creativity or imagination in the production or arrangement17 |
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| 38 | 38 | | of forms, sounds, words, movements, or symbols, including music, dance, performance18 |
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| 39 | 39 | | art, visual art, poetry, literature, film, and other such objects or media. Evidence deemed19 |
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| 40 | 40 | | to be creative or artistic expression shall not be admissible."20 |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2.21 |
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| 42 | 42 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.22 |
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| 43 | 43 | | H. B. 214 |
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| 44 | 44 | | - 2 - |
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