Latest news with #MaryFavors
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GA bill to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors on its way to becoming law
A Georgia bill that would reduce sentences for those who could tie their crimes to domestic abuse is on its way to becoming law. Women nationwide are in prison for killing their abusive partners in self-defense. Others were coerced into committing crimes with their abusers. Women of color are especially likely to end up in prison for crimes tied to abuse, experts have said. House Bill 582 passed the Senate 53-1 on Thursday after the House overwhelmingly passed it last month. Once the House approves final changes, which it is expected to, it will go to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. Over 100 women in Georgia prisons could get shorter sentences, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mary Favors, an incarcerated abuse survivor whose story the AP reported, hopes to work at a battered women's shelter if she gets out. She is in prison for killing her abusive husband. She says he jumped onto a knife she grabbed to defend herself. If Kemp signs the bill, Georgia would join Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and California in giving domestic abuse victims in prison or charged with a crime the chance to ask judges for lower sentences and present evidence to prove abuse drove their crime. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan Gunter, would also make it easier for people going forward to prove their crime was driven by abuse and let them bring in more evidence. Current Georgia law is strict about what evidence of abuse people can present and under what circumstances they can present it. 'House Bill 582 would prevent survivors from serving long sentences for conduct needed for their own survival,' said Sen. Bo Hatchett, the Republican carrying the bill. 'House Bill 582 would allow Georgia's criminal law to catch up with society's modern understanding of domestic violence dynamics.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Under Georgia's bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison unless prosecutors agree to a lower sentence. For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law. Several district attorneys originally opposed the bill and contacted their representatives to oppose it when the House voted on it. But the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council took a neutral stance after they won some changes. For example, the minimum sentence a judge could impose under the original bill if they found domestic abuse contributed to a crime was one year. Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women nationwide have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 'We only got three dissenting votes the entire time, which sends such a strong message to survivors in our state that we take their experience seriously, we value them, that their voices are heard, that they're safe, and the people care about seeing actual justice and healing,' said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. TRENDING STORIES: Fulton County prosecutors ask to have Young Thug's probation revoked Regions Bank teller stole money from elderly customer while pretending to help, police say GA mother charged after baby found in trash bag on back porch [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia bill to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors on its way to becoming law
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia bill that would reduce sentences for those who could tie their crimes to domestic abuse is on its way to becoming law. Women nationwide are in prison for killing their abusive partners in self-defense. Others were coerced into committing crimes with their abusers. Women of color are especially likely to end up in prison for crimes tied to abuse, experts have said. House Bill 582 passed the Senate 53-1 on Thursday after the House overwhelmingly passed it last month. Once the House approves final changes, which it is expected to, it will go to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. Over 100 women in Georgia prisons could get shorter sentences, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mary Favors, an incarcerated abuse survivor whose story the AP reported, hopes to work at a battered women's shelter if she gets out. She is in prison for killing her abusive husband. She says he jumped onto a knife she grabbed to defend herself. If Kemp signs the bill, Georgia would join Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and California in giving domestic abuse victims in prison or charged with a crime the chance to ask judges for lower sentences and present evidence to prove abuse drove their crime. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan Gunter, would also make it easier for people going forward to prove their crime was driven by abuse and let them bring in more evidence. Current Georgia law is strict about what evidence of abuse people can present and under what circumstances they can present it. 'House Bill 582 would prevent survivors from serving long sentences for conduct needed for their own survival,' said Sen. Bo Hatchett, the Republican carrying the bill. 'House Bill 582 would allow Georgia's criminal law to catch up with society's modern understanding of domestic violence dynamics.' Under Georgia's bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison unless prosecutors agree to a lower sentence. For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law. Several district attorneys originally opposed the bill and contacted their representatives to oppose it when the House voted on it. But the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council took a neutral stance after they won some changes. For example, the minimum sentence a judge could impose under the original bill if they found domestic abuse contributed to a crime was one year. Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women nationwide have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 'We only got three dissenting votes the entire time, which sends such a strong message to survivors in our state that we take their experience seriously, we value them, that their voices are heard, that they're safe, and the people care about seeing actual justice and healing,' said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. ___ Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Georgia bill to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors on its way to becoming law
A Georgia bill that would reduce sentences for those who could tie their crimes to domestic abuse is on its way to becoming law. Women nationwide are in prison for killing their abusive partners in self-defense. Others were coerced into committing crimes with their abusers. Women of color are especially likely to end up in prison for crimes tied to abuse, experts have said. House Bill 582 passed the Senate 53-1 on Thursday after the House overwhelmingly passed it last month. Once the House approves final changes, which it is expected to, it will go to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. Over 100 women in Georgia prisons could get shorter sentences, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mary Favors, an incarcerated abuse survivor whose story the AP reported, hopes to work at a battered women's shelter if she gets out. She is in prison for killing her abusive husband. She says he jumped onto a knife she grabbed to defend herself. If Kemp signs the bill, Georgia would join Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and California in giving domestic abuse victims in prison or charged with a crime the chance to ask judges for lower sentences and present evidence to prove abuse drove their crime. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan Gunter, would also make it easier for people going forward to prove their crime was driven by abuse and let them bring in more evidence. Current Georgia law is strict about what evidence of abuse people can present and under what circumstances they can present it. 'House Bill 582 would prevent survivors from serving long sentences for conduct needed for their own survival,' said Sen. Bo Hatchett, the Republican carrying the bill. 'House Bill 582 would allow Georgia's criminal law to catch up with society's modern understanding of domestic violence dynamics.' Under Georgia's bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison unless prosecutors agree to a lower sentence. For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law. Several district attorneys originally opposed the bill and contacted their representatives to oppose it when the House voted on it. But the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council took a neutral stance after they won some changes. For example, the minimum sentence a judge could impose under the original bill if they found domestic abuse contributed to a crime was one year. Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women nationwide have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 'We only got three dissenting votes the entire time, which sends such a strong message to survivors in our state that we take their experience seriously, we value them, that their voices are heard, that they're safe, and the people care about seeing actual justice and healing,' said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. ___ Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia bill to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors on its way to becoming law
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia bill that would reduce sentences for those who could tie their crimes to domestic abuse is on its way to becoming law. Women nationwide are in prison for killing their abusive partners in self-defense. Others were coerced into committing crimes with their abusers. Women of color are especially likely to end up in prison for crimes tied to abuse, experts have said. House Bill 582 passed the Senate 53-1 on Thursday after the House overwhelmingly passed it last month. Once the House approves final changes, which it is expected to, it will go to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. Over 100 women in Georgia prisons could get shorter sentences, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mary Favors, an incarcerated abuse survivor whose story the AP reported, hopes to work at a battered women's shelter if she gets out. She is in prison for killing her abusive husband. She says he jumped onto a knife she grabbed to defend herself. If Kemp signs the bill, Georgia would join Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and California in giving domestic abuse victims in prison or charged with a crime the chance to ask judges for lower sentences and present evidence to prove abuse drove their crime. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan Gunter, would also make it easier for people going forward to prove their crime was driven by abuse and let them bring in more evidence. Current Georgia law is strict about what evidence of abuse people can present and under what circumstances they can present it. 'House Bill 582 would prevent survivors from serving long sentences for conduct needed for their own survival,' said Sen. Bo Hatchett, the Republican carrying the bill. 'House Bill 582 would allow Georgia's criminal law to catch up with society's modern understanding of domestic violence dynamics.' Under Georgia's bill, if a judge determines that family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison unless prosecutors agree to a lower sentence. For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law. Several district attorneys originally opposed the bill and contacted their representatives to oppose it when the House voted on it. But the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council took a neutral stance after they won some changes. For example, the minimum sentence a judge could impose under the original bill if they found domestic abuse contributed to a crime was one year. Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women nationwide have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 'We only got three dissenting votes the entire time, which sends such a strong message to survivors in our state that we take their experience seriously, we value them, that their voices are heard, that they're safe, and the people care about seeing actual justice and healing,' said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The Independent
30-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How a new Georgia bill could change the fate of domestic abuse survivors in prison
Mary Favors is still plagued by nightmares from the days her husband beat her, choked her and verbally and sexually abused her. Now, she is in prison for killing him. Their fights often turned physical, and five times he was convicted of abusing her. Then one night in April 2011, court records show, Troy Favors began shouting and hitting her before chasing her to their bedroom. She quickly closed the door, alone inside, tying the bedroom door with a string because he had kicked it down before. She grabbed a knife in case he did that again just before he burst in. When she told him to back off, he refused and, according to Favors, he jumped on the knife. Prosecutors accused her of stabbing him. 'It happened so fast,' Favors, 58, told The Associated Press from prison, later adding, 'I felt my life was at risk.' Between 74% and 95% of incarcerated women have survived domestic abuse or sexual violence, according to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Many were tried without fair opportunities to prove the scope of the abuse and how it led them to act in self-defense, while others were coerced into crimes, according to advocates, who add that certain laws disproportionately criminalize abused women. At other times, they say, people simply don't believe women's stories, with women of color like Favors who survive abuse especially likely to end up in prison. But under the Georgia Survivor Justice Act, which passed the state House overwhelmingly with bipartisan support and awaits Senate consideration, abuse survivors could secure early release from prison. The bill calls for judges to resentence those who are incarcerated and impose shorter sentences on those who are convicted if they can tie their crimes to domestic abuse. It also would expand what can be presented as supporting evidence. It's all part of a broader move toward reform that has gained momentum nationwide as states including Missouri, Connecticut and Massachusetts consider similar legislation. Some states already have passed laws intended to reduce sentences for victims of abuse who face charges or were convicted. Facing possible life in prison for charges including murder, Favors pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and three other offenses. She received the maximum of 20 years in prison for the killing and five years of probation for having the knife. Many incarcerated survivors are serving life sentences. 'There's this blurring of the lines between victim and suspect when girls and women are criminalized for the sexual violence that they experience,' said Rebecca Epstein, executive director of the Center on Gender Justice and Opportunity at Georgetown Law. Barriers in the legal system After her husband's death, Favors transported the body and left it elsewhere. Research shows similar snap decisions by victims in response to trauma can taint how jurors, judges and prosecutors see defendants, said Leigh Goodmark, a University of Maryland law professor who studies the criminalization of domestic violence. Goodmark hopes efforts like Georgia's will help judges and prosecutors 'see that victimization is much more complicated than they want it to be." Current Georgia law is strict about how lawyers can bring in evidence of domestic abuse, said Ellie Williams, legal director with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She is spearheading the legislation, which would loosen some restrictions, and said the strict guidelines reflect outdated understandings of abuse. 'Things that we don't always take seriously matter, and we explicitly and implicitly require things that don't adequately allow for the actual dynamics of abuse to be considered,' Williams said. Hope for survivors Under Georgia's bill, if a judge determines family violence, dating violence or child abuse contributed to a crime with a minimum sentence of life in prison, the judge, in most cases, would have to impose a sentence of 10 to 30 years in prison. For other felonies, judges would not be able to sentence the defendant to more than half of the maximum sentence they could have otherwise gotten. People in prison could also request resentencing under the rules if the act ultimately becomes law. Georgia's bill would also make it easier for courts to consider domestic violence in cases involving self-defense or victims being coerced into committing a crime, which is common. The bill is 'not a get out of jail free card,' said bill sponsor Rep. Stan Gunter, a Republican. The day the House voted on it, several district attorneys contacted their representatives to oppose it. Randy McGinley, district attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, said during a committee hearing that families may become upset if the person who killed their loved one walks free from prison early. The Prosecuting Attorneys' Council, which McGinley was representing, is taking a neutral stance after persuading lawmakers to make some changes. Some freed despite challenges New York passed a bill in 2019 that allowed judges and prosecutors to revisit sentences. The Survivors Justice Project said at least 71 people have received a reduction and 85 applications were denied. California has a similar law. Illinois last year passed a law expanding eligibility for resentencing building on previous laws. The Oklahoma Survivors' Act, passed last year, shortens sentences for crimes driven by domestic violence. A few have gone home. But a bill failed this year that could have provided some sentencing relief for women who were convicted under Oklahoma's 'failure to protect' law for not protecting children from their abusers. They often receive sentences equal to or more than their abusers. Favors tears up when she talks about her husband, whom she still loves. She drove him to work every day and wishes they had had resources to overcome mental health battles and their drug addictions. Now drug-free, Favors dreams of working at a battered women's shelter. In prison, she earned her high school diploma and took classes about abuse. To heal, she prays, fasts, reads her Bible and meets with others in a prison ministry, sharing what God did for them. "I survived from my abuse," Favors answers. 'I could have been the one that was dead.' ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
