Georgia Approves Bill Linking Innocent Inmates, Trump Fees \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Georgia lawmakers passed a bill combining two controversial issues: compensating the wrongfully convicted and covering legal fees for Trump and co-defendants if charges are dismissed. The bill passed on the final day of the legislative session. Critics call it political gamesmanship that forces lawmakers to choose between justice and accountability.
Quick Looks
- Bill lets cleared defendants recoup legal fees after disqualified prosecutions
- Establishes $75,000 per year payout for wrongful convictions
- Could benefit Trump, co-defendants in 2020 election interference case
- Georgia is one of 12 states without compensation law
- Currently, compensation requires a legislator to sponsor individual requests
- Five wrongful conviction cases denied funding this year alone
- Bill passed Senate 35–18, House 103–61, with bipartisan crossover
- Sen. Brandon Beach introduced measure after DA Fani Willis’ disqualification
- Democrats split—some call it “punitive politics” and “hostage-taking”
- Bill aims to remove compensation decisions from political process
Deep Look
On the final day of Georgia’s 2025 legislative session, lawmakers passed a controversial and far-reaching bill that fuses two politically charged issues—compensation for wrongfully convicted individuals and a legal provision that could reimburse former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants for attorneys’ fees in their ongoing election interference case.
Known as Senate Bill 244, the legislation narrowly avoided collapse earlier this session. It was revived by attaching it to a provision designed to allow criminal defendants to reclaim legal costs if a prosecutor is disqualified and charges are dismissed. The merged bill drew both praise and outrage, ultimately passing the House 103–61 and the Senate 35–18 with bipartisan votes, but deep divides.
Trump Legal Fees Trigger Political Tensions
The bill’s path to passage was reignited when state Sen. Brandon Beach, a Republican from Alpharetta and longtime Trump supporter, added the reimbursement clause in response to recent developments in Trump’s Georgia election case.
Trump and 18 allies were indicted in Fulton County in August 2023 over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. However, the case was thrown into disarray after a Georgia appeals court disqualified District Attorney Fani Willis due to a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had appointed to lead the investigation.
Under SB 244, if a prosecutor is disqualified and charges are dismissed, defendants—including Trump—could potentially recover legal fees paid during the prosecution.
Critics, especially among Democrats, blasted the move as a backdoor bailout for a powerful political figure.
“Do not force my constituents to pay his legal fees,” said Sen. RaShaun Kemp, a Democrat from Atlanta.
Rep. Shea Roberts, also a Democrat, called the bill “a disgusting display of punitive politics,” adding that it “puts legislators and voters in a moral straitjacket.”
Longstanding Fight for Wrongful Conviction Compensation
The other half of SB 244 addresses an issue advocates have championed for decades: creating a standardized process for compensating people who were wrongfully imprisoned.
If signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, the bill would mandate that an administrative law judge — not politicians — award $75,000 per year of incarceration to those proven to be factually innocent of a crime or any lesser offense.
Currently, Georgia is one of just 12 states without a dedicated statute for compensating the wrongfully convicted. Under the existing system, individuals must rely on a state legislator to sponsor a personal compensation bill — a process mired in bureaucracy and political considerations.
This year, five such individuals had their efforts blocked, despite having their convictions overturned due to errors in police work, DNA evidence, or new findings that exonerated them.
Senator Reverses Course on Compensation Reform
One of the bill’s most unexpected backers is Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson, a former sheriff’s deputy who has long opposed prior attempts to reform compensation procedures.
At a marathon 6 a.m. hearing held the day before the session’s close, Robertson expressed skepticism about whether overturned convictions truly proved innocence. Yet he admitted the current system — where lawmakers act as de facto juries — is flawed.
“We shouldn’t be retrying cases as legislators,” Robertson said. “The process has to be fair and objective.”
His shift came too late to pass a separate proposal to compensate this year’s exonerated individuals, but it helped push SB 244 across the finish line as a legislative compromise.
A Divided But Emotional Debate
Some Democrats — including key leaders like House Minority Leader Harold Jones II, Sen. Elena Parent, and Sen. Kim Jackson — crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill, supporting the wrongful conviction reform despite their misgivings about the Trump-related clause.
Others were more cautious. Rep. Scott Holcomb, a Democrat who has championed compensation reform for years, passionately urged support.
“There isn’t a person alive who would trade the money for what happened to them,” Holcomb said. “We’re talking about people who lost decades of their lives behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit.”
A Political Trade-Off or Justice Advancement?
Supporters argue that the legislation’s benefits outweigh its political baggage. By setting a clear standard for compensating those wrongfully imprisoned and removing legislative gridlock from the process, the bill represents a milestone in criminal justice reform.
“This bill gives the wrongfully convicted a true chance,” said Republican Rep. Katie Dempsey of Rome. “It’s not a retrial from legislators.”
Still, critics say that linking such an important justice issue to potential payouts for Trump and his allies creates an unethical precedent.
“It’s hostage-taking, not leadership,” said Rep. Roberts.
As Gov. Kemp considers whether to sign SB 244 into law, the stakes are high. For some, it represents long-overdue justice. For others, it’s a cynical example of using a noble cause to shield the powerful.
Either way, Georgia may soon join the majority of U.S. states with laws protecting the wrongfully convicted — but not without leaving bruises on the political battlefield.
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