Senate Bill 443

Senate Bill (SB) 443 increases criminal penalties for obstructing public passages from a misdemeanor to a high and aggravated misdemeanor. The bill also creates a new felony offense when the conduct results in bodily injury to another person or damage to property, punishable by a mandatory fine of at least $5,000 or a minimum of five years in prison. In addition, individuals who violate this code section may be held civilly liable for any resulting damages.

The ACLU of Georgia opposes SB 443 because it raises serious First Amendment concerns and unnecessarily increases criminal penalties for certain conduct.