3 ms·

Can a defense attorney in Georgia argue their client couldn't obey the law because they couldn't afford to know the law?

• 77pt77 10y ago
  They can argue all they want, but the client will still lose if that is the only point the defence has.
  • soundwave106 10y ago
    Georgia does have a public records law (http://legal.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/images/186385699r1.pdf http://legal.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/images/186385699...). It would be interesting to see how the concept of annotations hidden behind a LexisNexis paywall meshes with open records laws here and elsewhere. At casual glance, the notions don't seem to jive very well if (as seems to be implied in articles) the annotations are not just private analysis, but are used as the basis of public law itself. (Note, in Googling, I see this issue has been brought up in at least one legal blog -- https://blog.law.cornell.edu/voxpop/2011/07/15/tear-down-this-paywall/ https://blog.law.cornell.edu/voxpop/2011/07/15/tear-down-thi... -- and apparently is a problem in not just Georgia.)
    • dzdt 10y ago
      The defendant here got their initial copy of the law by such an open records request! See the mention of $1207.02 in the first paragraph, that amount being the copying fee. The state here is insisting he cannot distribute further copies. Anyone else can request a copy from the state via open records law, and again pay the "nominal" copying fee (or pay a smaller fee to Lexus-Nexus for access). What you cannot do is get a copy for free, or make a copy for anyone else if you paid for one!
• briandear 10y ago
  It's available for free.
  • LambdaComplex 10y ago
    Did you not read the article, did you miss the point, or are you saying it's incorrect?