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GA HR593
Resolution
Status
Passed
5/2/2022
Primary Sponsor
Don Hogan
Click for details
AI Summary
- Dennis Arnold Perry was wrongfully convicted on February 14, 2003, of two counts of murder for the 1985 shooting deaths of Harold and Thelma Swain at Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Waverly, Georgia, and served more than 20 years in prison before his conviction was overturned on July 17, 2020, based on new DNA evidence pointing to another suspect
- Perry had been cleared as a suspect during the original investigation because he was working in the Atlanta area at the time of the murders; no physical evidence ever connected him to the crime, and his conviction relied primarily on a witness who received an undisclosed cash reward for her testimony
- On July 19, 2021, the District Attorney entered a nolle prosequi, advising the court that both his office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation did not believe Perry committed the murders
- The Department of Administrative Services is authorized to pay $1,230,000.00 to Perry, structured as an initial payment of $307,500.00 followed by equal monthly annuity installments over 20 years beginning in 2022, with payments continuing to his estate or heirs upon his death
- All compensation received under the resolution is excluded from Perry's taxable net income for Georgia state income tax purposes, and the payment constitutes full satisfaction of all claims against the state
Legislative Description
Perry, Mr. Dennis Arnold; compensate
Last Action
Effective Date 2022-05-02
5/2/2022
Committee Referrals
Appropriations3/16/2022
Appropriations1/24/2022
Full Bill Text
No bill text available