Georgia's top court adopted a new legal standard for kidnapping, ruling that prosecutors must consider four factors before deciding to pursue kidnapping charges.
The Georgia Supreme Court's 4-3 decision Monday requires prosecutors to consider how far the victim was taken and whether the movement endangered the victim.
It also says authorities should weigh whether the movement occurred during the commission of a separate crime and whether it was a key part of that second crime.
The new standards came as part of an 18-page ruling that threw out kidnapping charges against Joey Allen Garza of Lee County. The court upheld his convictions for false imprisonment and aggravated assault.
Click here for more GPB News coverage about this issue.
(AP)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ga. Supreme Court adopts new kidnapping standards
