Penn State sex case impelled legislation
Adults in Georgia would have to report any felony they witness or face a misdemeanor themselves under legislation filed Monday.
Rep. Bill Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain, said he was already working on House Bill 691 because of an unreported crime he heard about locally when allegations of sex abuse by a Pennsylvania State University football coach made national headlines.
"This [bill] came about as result of an incident I had heard of where there were witnesses to a crime going on and yet no one would come forward or felt compelled to call the police to report the crime," Mitchell said. "But then the Penn State issue exploded, and if ever there was an example of whether someone should report a crime, that was it."
The person reporting the crime would not have to divulge his or her identity, the proposed bill says.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
