At its July 21 conference GGIA formally recognized Keyes Fleming for her outstanding leadership by prosecuting gangs and her valuable assistance in strengthening the Georgia Street Gang and Terrorism Act known legislatively as House Bill 1015.
“Keyes Fleming’s leadership and dedication from working with GGIA and Georgia’s law enforcement community to her efforts in the Georgia General Assembly in connection with passage of HB 1015, which will hone and improve Georgia’s gang laws, made her well-deserving of this award,” said Detective Marco Silva, president of GGIA and a Gwinnett County policeman.
HB 1015 became effective July 1. Major enhancements enable prosecutors to include in their cases criminal acts potential gang members were required to commit crimes to join a gang. It also makes it illegal to intimidate anyone who reports a gang-related crime.
Other major changes require that bond hearings must now be held before a Superior Court judge instead of a Magistrate Court judge. Sentencing conditions include no contact with known gang members and the new law also ensures that evidence of any gang’s criminality is admissible in a trial.