Georgia Repeals Civil War-Era Citizen’s Arrest Law Initially Used to Justify Letting Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers Off the Hook Jerry Lambe
Georgia Gov.
Brian Kempsigned bipartisan legislation on Monday repealing a Civil War-era citizen’s arrest law used to defend three white men accused of chasing down
Ahmaud Arbery and fatally shooting him. The men claimed they suspected Arbery had just committed a crime.
Lawmakers in the Georgia House and Senate passed HB 479 and thus overwhelmingly approved the measure which prohibits Georgia citizens from forcefully detaining a person if a crime is committed in their presence or “within their immediate knowledge.” The new law, signed 14 months after Arbery’s death, does have exceptions for self-defense and allows the operators of public businesses to hold suspected thieves until authorities arrive.