House approves bill expanding gun rights for retired judges

The Georgia House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand carrying rights for retired judges in Georgia, correcting what the sponsoring legislator said was an oversight in current law.

Rep. Doug Holt, R-Social Circle, said most retired judges in Georgia are automatically exempt from state law prohibiting citizens from carrying weapons into such places as a courthouse or government building. But current law didn’t extend that privilege to positions such as a juvenile court judge, Holt said.

House Bill 60 would expand the exemptions to all retired judges in Georgia, provided they have never been convicted of a felony. The bill passed 167-3.

“The base logic that a judge may have crossed people in the course of his career, who may want to come back and threaten him, is a good rationale,” Holt said. “They’ve picked up a slight risk obligation in the course of their service. … They should have those privileges.”

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