Yesterday Governor Kemp signed HB 1201 into law, which fills in a gap left by the Survivors Act of 2020 where victims of trafficking convicted of offenses directly related to their victimization could seek vacatur for those convictions, while survivors who pleaded under Georgia’s first offender act could not obtain the same remedy.
What’s not as well known is that HB 1201 would not have been passed or signed into law without CEASE’s Brian Atkinson’s recognition of the law’s shortcomings and need for reform. Because of his advocacy, research, policy briefs, and legislative testimony, Georgia has taken an important step towards decriminalizing survivors.
We are beyond grateful for Brian, who not only ensured that more survivors could seek this vital relief in Georgia, but also successfully obtained a vacatur for a CEASE client this week who was first trafficked at the age of 13.