PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
SPRING IS IN THE AIR
community service grant recipients. The Atlanta Bar’s LRIS
In connection with the proposed change, it has been widely
Director, Carla Brown, along with LRIS Board Chair Celia
reported in the press that if officers appear before a grand
Sunne and so many others have done an outstanding job
jury and make a statement, then the officer will be subject to
managing the program and we are so pleased that the panel’s
questioning by grand jurors and prosecutors. Reforming this
cases have successfully generated significant fees over the
aspect of the process has been one of the main selling points
past year. This has allowed us to provide the critical support
of the bill. Nevertheless, HB 941 also states, “the district at-
needed by our pro bono partners in carrying out their important
torney shall advise the officer. . . [that] the officer may refuse
work in benefitting the community. The funds also make it
to answer any question or to produce records, documents, and
possible for us to continue our outreach programming, includ-
other physical evidence if a truthful answer to the question or
ing our Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP) and others.
producing such records, documents, or other physical evidence
would tend to incriminate the officer or would tend to bring
EJLE as a Resource
By Harold E. Franklin, Jr.
King & Spalding LLP
infamy, disgrace, or public contempt upon the officer. . .” See
Our Equal Justice in Law Enforcement (EJLE) Committee
HB 941 (sub) version LC 29 6931ERS at 182-187, 193-196.
continues its ongoing work to serve as a resource to both the
While it remains to be seen how these provisions will be in-
community and to law enforcement. Our work has included
terpreted by the courts, concerns have been raised by many
meetings with law enforcement and community leaders in
that this language could be used inappropriately as a shield
addition to high school students, through our EJLE School
against answering questions in instances in which the accused
Outreach Program. I am very proud of our Bar’s leadership
officer has chosen to make a statement to the grand jury. Such
in the effort to help lessen the potential for discriminatory po-
an interpretation of the law would be inconsistent with the
licing practices and uphold the civil and constitutional rights
public representations about the purpose and effect of the bill.
A
Bar elections, and we are looking forward to our annual
Unprecedented Level of Giving
Proposed Changes
of justice, we are pleased that our Bar Association provides
Leadership Awards program in April. There is so much our
One way we have made a positive difference this year is
One of the key legal issues highlighted during our January EJLE
extensive training resources to l