As police brutality and fatal encounters continue to spark national demands for transparency and accountability, Georgia legislators are pushing a bill that poses a significant threat to public oversight. Instead of fostering public trust, HB 1223 undermines the ability of the public, media, and advocates to investigate and challenge police brutality.

HB 1223

🚨 Hides Crucial Evidence and Blocks Accountability acting as a near-total denial of public access to police footage depicting a person’s death or acute distress. The only narrow exception involves waiting until a criminal investigation ends and then engaging in a superior court battle to prove in writing that the public interest outweighs the next of kin's privacy.

🚨 Undermines Freedom of the Press by providing no exceptions for the media, barring news organizations from access without a court order. This erases a vital check on police power and shuts the public out from crucial information.

🚨 Buries Critical External Footage by expanding the bill's scope to include footage from sources other than police. Once a bystander's cell phone video or a local business's security footage depicting a person’s death or acute distress enters police custody, it becomes inaccessible to the public through an open records request.

🚨 Prevents Oversight Before It Begins by limiting access to footage, making it difficult for the public to know whether an investigation is even warranted or underway.

Despite the clear fact that limiting the availability of these recordings makes it more difficult to expose police misconduct and secure justice for victims, this oversweeping legislation continues to move forward.