Georgia

For Misdemeanor Poverty, Georgia Would Assign Mandatory Cash Bail – Filter

Published

2 years ago

February 29, 2024

For Misdemeanor Poverty, Georgia Would Assign Mandatory Cash Bail – Filter

February 29 is Crossover Day in the Georgia General Assembly, with lawmakers clambering over each other to advance their bills of choice before the legislative session comes to a close. Except Senator Randy Robertson (R), sponsor of the proposal to dramatically expand cash bail, which was one of the only major bills to already sail onward to the governor’s desk. Nothing brings lawmakers together quite like punishing the poor.

There are currently 14 charges for which the state of Georgia requires cash bail. Senate Bill 63 would add 30 new ones, then forbid people accused of those charges from receiving almost any assistance from charities or nonprofits, or even loved ones. If they can’t pay their assigned bail, they will languish in the death traps that are Georgia’s overcrowded jails. Most of the 30 charges are misdemeanors, and wouldn’t be punishable by incarceration if the person were actually convicted.

“I think if the individual honestly conveyed to the judge that they were basically destitute, then I think there are ways for the individual to make bond,” Robertson stated at a Committee on Public Safety hearing earlier in February, in defense of his bill to legally abolish most ways for destitute individuals to make bond.

“The criminal trespass may have been vagrancy, in order to break into an abandoned house that belonged to someone else in order to stay in it, and in cases like that most likely the charge would be dismissed,” he continued, in a tone concerningly devoid of sarcasm. “But in Georgia being broke is not a viable defense for committing a crime.”

Many groups and individual humans out there post bond for people who can’t afford it on their own, but SB 63 would cap their efforts at three recipients each per year. Defendants who can’t afford bail must deal only with approved bail bondsmen. Except defendants who are undocumented, whom even the bail bondsmen are forbidden from helping.

More than going after people for shoplifting and squatting, SB 63 is after people who have shoplifted and squatted before.

SB 63 would undo many judicial reforms enacted under former Governor Nathan Deal (R). ACLU Georgia has vowed to sue if Governor Brian Kemp (R) signs the bill into law, stating that “[no]t only is SB 63 bad policy, it is illegal. It unconstitutionally criminalizes poverty and restricts conduct protected by the First Amendment.”

The legislature obviously doesn’t expect defendants to be able to personally produce thousands of dollars at the ready, or SB 63 wouldn’t be aimed specifically at people who do not have money. Many of the 30 new bail-restricted charges describe activities people engage in entirely because they have been chronically without money. “Theft by taking, [on] the person’s second or subsequent offense”; “criminal trespass, [on] the person’s second or subsequent offense.”

More than going after people for shoplifting and squatting, SB 63 is after those “habitual violators” who have shoplifted and squatted before. It also targets those who would disrupt the accumulation of wealth by the wealthy, as Stop Cop City organizers did in 2022. But for the most part, constituents who are not one economic hiccup away from being sent to the gulag are often perfectly willing to accept the rules of tyrants, who vow to keep them safe from the people with no money or resources.

Introducing someone into the criminal-legal system rarely improves the trajectory of their life.

What options do people have, when you prosecute them for having nothing? They could run, and join the many disenfranchised souls dispersed in rural encampments across the state, but of course “fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer” is also among the 30 new bail-restricted charges. Missing a court date is another, for people who’ve missed court dates before. Jumping bail has been assigned mandatory bail all along.

The problem is obviously not that Georgia has too many dangerous criminals. The problem is that people have nowhere to live. Rather than house them, the state intends to profoundly destabilize their life and heap on new sources of debt. If that doesn’t improve their housing prospects, they don’t deserve to be free.

Introducing someone into the criminal-legal system rarely improves the trajectory of their life. A couple of days in jail, even without a conviction, is the off-ramp from the highway of “contributing to society,” as lawmakers like to say.

Still, it isn’t all bad. The thousands of us who have served decades inside Georgia Department of Corrections prisons are in fact heartened by SB 63’s breakaway success. If the prison population grows rapidly enough to compel the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to actually grant some of us parole, we would gladly give up our beds to needy newcomers.

Photograph via City of Brookhaven, Georgia

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Georgia

Georgia Lottery Powerball, Cash 3 results for Dec. 6, 2025

Published

32 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 6, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

13-14-26-28-44, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 5-0-8

Evening: 1-6-8

Night: 7-2-9

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 2-3-5-1

Evening: 2-9-2-5

Night: 7-7-2-2

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

02-06-41-48-52, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Early Bird: 01

Matinee: 02

Drive Time: 06

Primetime: 03

Night Owl: 09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 6-5-7-5-4

Evening: 1-3-9-0-6

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

11-22-28-35-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.

When are the Georgia Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Cash 3 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 3 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 (Night): 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Cash 4 Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Early Bird): 8 a.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Matinee): 1 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Drive Time): 5 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Primetime): 8 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop (Night Owl): 11:59 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Midday): 12:29 p.m. ET daily.
Georgia FIVE (Evening): 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
Fantasy 5: 11:34 p.m. ET daily.
Jumbo Bucks Lotto: 11 p.m. ET on Monday and Thursday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Georgia

‘College GameDay’ Week 15 picks for Alabama-Georgia, Ohio State-Indiana, more

Published

13 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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‘College GameDay’ Week 15 picks for Alabama-Georgia, Ohio State-Indiana, more

By the end of the day, five conference championship trophies and four spots in the College Football Playoff will be handed out.

Kicking off conference championship weekend is the Big 12 championship game between No. 6 Texas Tech (No. 4 in CFP rankings) and No. 11 BYU (No. 11 in CFP rankings). This game could impact the rest of the day and how the field is set up on Sunday, Dec. 7 — if the Cougars can pull off the upset.

There’s then the SEC championship game between No. 3 Georgia (No. 3 in CFP rankings) and No. 10 Alabama (No. 9 in CFP rankings), the site of “College GameDay” in Week 15. The Crimson Tide will need to replicate its game plan — a big passing game from Ty Simpson — from earlier this season to beat Georgia again. A win for Alabama will be its first SEC title in the post-Nick Saban era, while a win for Georgia will give Kirby Smart’s squad back-to-back SEC titles and three titles in the last four years.

The nightcap features No. 1 Ohio State (No. 1 in CFP rankings) and No. 2 Indiana (No. 2 in CFP rankings) clashing in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, and No. 16 Virginia (No. 17 in CFP rankings) and Duke meeting up in the ACC championship in Charlotte. A win by the five-loss Blue Devils would create chaos in the 12-team CFP field, potentially admitting two Group of Five programs into the CFP field.

Host of TNT’s “Inside NBA” Ernie Johnson is the celebrity guest picker for Week 15. Here’s a look at how “College GameDay” picked each of the conference championship matchups in Week 15, including the Army-Navy game next weekend:

Big 12 championship game: Texas Tech vs BYU

Desmond Howard: Texas Tech
Pat McAfee: Texas Tech
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Texas Tech
Nick Saban: Texas Tech
Kirk Herbstreit: Texas Tech

SEC championship game: Georgia vs Alabama

Desmond Howard: Georgia
Pat McAfee: Georgia
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Georgia
Nick Saban: Alabama
Kirk Herbstreit: Abstained (calling game)

Big Ten championship game: Ohio State vs Indiana

Desmond Howard: Indiana
Pat McAfee: Indiana
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Ohio State
Nick Saban: Ohio State
Kirk Herbstreit: Ohio State

ACC championship game: Virginia vs Duke

Desmond Howard: Virginia
Pat McAfee: Duke
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Virginia
Nick Saban: Virginia
Kirk Herbstreit: Virginia

MAC championship: Miami (Ohio) vs Western Michigan

Desmond Howard: Miami (Ohio)
Pat McAfee: Western Michigan
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Western Michigan
Nick Saban: Western Michigan
Kirk Herbstreit: Western Michigan

Army-Navy Game

Desmond Howard: Navy
Pat McAfee: Navy
Ernie Johnson (guest picker): Navy
Nick Saban: Navy
Kirk Herbstreit: Navy

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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Georgia

Georgia Republicans back resolution condemning video on illegal military orders

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Georgia Republicans back resolution condemning video on illegal military orders

article

The U.S. Capitol, pictured during sunset on November 12, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON – Four Georgia congressmen are backing a new House resolution that denounces a group of fellow lawmakers for appearing in a video about refusing unlawful military orders. Republicans say the video amounted to “dangerous and seditious rhetoric.”

Georgia congressmen sign on to resolution

What we know:

Reps. Rick Allen, Mike Collins, Buddy Carter, and Andrew Clyde are among 27 GOP members who signed onto the measure, which criticizes six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the video. Those six are Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Christopher Deluzio, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan. All have backgrounds as veterans or former members of the clandestine service.

In the video, the lawmakers advise current service members about their duty under U.S. military law to disobey illegal orders. The resolution argues the message created “an environment placing troops and their loved ones at risk of harm, compromising and undermining the national security.”

At least fourteen of the 27 co-signers report prior military service, including Georgia’s Rep. Clyde.

What the resolution states

What they’re saying:

The resolution condemns six Democratic lawmakers for a video urging service members and intelligence personnel to refuse what they called illegal orders.

The measure argues the lawmakers offered no evidence that such orders exist and says their message encourages insubordination, threatens the chain of command, and violates long-standing military law.

It accuses the group of undermining confidence in the armed forces and asserts their statements place troops and their families at risk.

The proposal reaffirms the President’s authority as commander in chief and denounces the remarks as dangerous and seditious rhetoric.

Pentagon probes video

The backstory:

The video at the center of the controversy was released Nov. 18 by six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom previously served in the military or intelligence community, who told service members they could refuse illegal orders. In it, the group tells service members they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, framing the message as a reminder of their oath to the Constitution.

According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon opened a preliminary investigation because Rep. Mike Kelly is a retired Navy captain and remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Defense officials said they were concerned the message could erode the chain of command, noting that military orders are presumed lawful unless clearly illegal.

The AP reports the lawmakers provided no examples of unlawful orders, and Kelly later said he had not witnessed any. Critics argue the video could undermine discipline, while the lawmakers say they were reminding troops of their duty to uphold the law.

What is Article 92 of the UCMJ?

Dig deeper:

Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice makes it a crime for a service member to fail to obey a lawful order or regulation.

Military orders are presumed to be lawful, and service members who refuse them risk court-martial unless the order is clearly illegal under U.S. or international law.

The standard is intentionally strict in order to protect the chain of command and ensure that individual service members are not left to interpret orders based on personal beliefs or political views.

Congressional in-fighting

Why you should care:

It is rare for the House to formally rebuke sitting members of Congress, particularly over matters involving national security.

Disputes between lawmakers are typically handled through floor debate, committee oversight, or public statements rather than resolutions denouncing specific colleagues.

The move highlights the degree of concern some Republicans say they have about the potential impact of the video on military discipline and the chain of command, and reflects an unusually direct confrontation between members of Congress over how their words may influence active-duty troops.

Will it reach a vote?

What’s next:

The proposal was introduced Thursday and sent to the House Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for review. No word on if the resolution will ever reach the House floor for a full vote.

The Source: The details in this article come from the congressional record and the U.S. Code. The Associated Press and FOX News contributed to this report. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.

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