Noticias

El Comité Asesor de Georgia de la Comisión de Derechos Civiles de EE.UU. continúa escuchando testimonios sobre el decomiso civil de bienes y su impacto en las comunidades de color

The Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announces its third and fourth panels of speakers to provide testimony on the impact of civil asset forfeiture on communities of color in the state. The Committee is hosting a series of public meetings to gather testimony regarding the extent to which civil asset forfeiture in Georgia may have a discriminatory impact on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

The meetings will take place via web conference.

Panel III: Monday August 2, 2021, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern

·         AUDIO ONLY DIAL: 800-360-9505; ACCESS CODE: 199 979 8534

Panel IV: Wednesday August 4, 2021, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern

  • Register online (audio/visual): https://bit.ly/3iOL4Vk
  •  Audio only dial: 800-360-9505; Access code: 199 014 4101

Closed captions will be provided. Individuals requiring other accommodations should contact the regional program unit at (202) 618-4158 five business days prior to the meeting to make their request.

Members of the public will be invited to speak during an open comment period near the end of each meeting. The Committee will hear testimony from additional speakers to be scheduled through the fall of 2021 as necessary. The Committee will also accept written testimony submitted to mwojnaroski@usccr.gov throughout the duration of this project. Records from previous meetings on this topic, including recordings and meeting transcripts are available at: https://bit.ly/3kwW3DM.

“Civil forfeiture allows police to seize, then keep or sell the property alleged to be involved in a crime. This practice allows many police departments to use forfeiture to benefit their bottom lines, which increases seizures motivated by profit rather than fighting crime,” said Committee Chair Chantel Mullen. “The owners of said property may not ever be arrested or convicted of a crime for them to permanently lose their cash, cars, businesses, or even their homes. This is a civil rights issue of enormous concern that deserves deeper research and discussion on its impact on Georgians from already marginalized communities.”

The Georgia Advisory Committee will issue findings and recommendations in a report to the Commission after all testimony has been received.

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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Our 51 state Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. For information about the Commission, please visit www.usccr.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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