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THURSDAY. MARCH 4. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
'Hidden Predator' bill for child sex-
abuse victims to sue in Georgia advances
By Beau Evans
Staff Writer
Capitol Beat News Service
Legislation to extend the
statute of limitations for
Georgians who were sexually
abused as children to sue
their abusers years later as
adults advanced in the state
House of Representatives on
Tuesday.
Sponsored by Georgia
Rep. Heath Clark, R-Warner
Robins, the bill would extend
the deadline for victims to
bring suits against their child
hood abusers to age 52, a
steep increase from age 23
under current state law.
The bill would let victims
sue their alleged abusers up
to a year after realizing that
past abuse has led to present-
day trauma. Research shows
adults often tend to recognize
the impacts of childhood sex
abuse decades after it hap
pened.
Controversially, the bill
would also give victims a
four-year window to sue pub
lic and private organizations
like the Catholic Church and
the Boy Scouts of America
for harboring predators on
staff who abused them as
children.
Under the bill, which
passed the House Judiciary
Committee unanimously, vic
tims would have to prove
with “clear and convincing”
evidence those organizations
both knew about the abuse
and let it happen under their
watch.
Lawsuits could only be
brought if the abuse hap
pened since July 1, 1973,
marking the year in Georgia
law when organizations were
first required to report abuse
allegations among staff.
Trial attorneys have
warned opening the lawsuit
window for victims up to
decades after their abuse
could open a floodgate of lit
igation in Georgia, noting
hundreds of suits were filed
in New York shortly after that
state passed a similar statute-
of-limitations extension in
2019.
Representatives from the
Boy Scouts and Catholic
Church, which have both
been rocked by child sex-
abuse scandals in recent
years, also previously op
posed the bill on grounds that
litigation could expose their
organizations to huge legal
fees.
Clark’s bill now heads to
the full House for a vote. It
resembles a statute-of-limita-
tions measure he filed on
childhood sexual abuse that
stalled in last year’s legisla
tive session, which was inter
rupted by the COVID-19
pandemic.
Importance of enrolling teens in driving school
By Metro News
As teenagers eagerly
await the arrival of the birth
day that makes them eligible
to get their drivers’ licenses,
they may be anticipating the
freedom that being able to
drive alone provides. But that
excitement can overshadow
the immense responsibility of
operating a motor vehicle.
According to Geico, 25
percent of 16-year-old driv
ers are involved in a car acci
dent during their first year of
driving. Expertise behind the
wheel comes with practice,
and starting teen driving jour
neys with a good foundation
of information and instruc
tion is key. Enrolling in a dri
ver’s education program can
be a wise investment, and
one that reduces the number
of collisions on the road.
The following are some
ways driving school can ben
efit young drivers.
• Pass your test the first time:
Though requirements are dif
ferent depending on where
drivers live, they typically
must pass both a written and
a road test to earn their li
censes. Driver’s education
courses go over the rides of
the road and the laws govern
ing safe driving. A road in
structor will go over driving
basics and help you put them
into practice while behind the
wheel.
• Access to an expert: While
Mom, Dad or another trusted
adult may have the best in
tentions when teaching teens
how to drive, they may be
rusty with some of the rules.
Furthermore, they may have
adopted habits or shortcuts
that, while they work for
them, may not be the proper
way to instruct new drivers.
A driving school helps teens
learn how to drive well and
safely.
• Specially equipped vehi
cles: The vehicles that driv
ing schools have in their
fleets have been modified to
be especially safe. Most fea
ture a rearview mirror and an
additional brake pedal on the
passenger side. This enables
the driving instructor to have
a clear view and also to act,
if necessary, to avoid a colli
sion while the student is still
learning.
• Meet requirements: Most
states in the United States re
quire driver training courses
in some shape or form before
a teen is able to get his or her
license. In New Jersey, for
example, obtaining a license
is a multi-stage process. At
age 16, teens may apply for a
learner’s permit with proof of
enrollment in a behind-the-
wheel driver training course
and a passing grade on the
written test. At age 17, the
student must then pass the
New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission road test. A pro
bationary license will then be
issued. If rides are followed
during the probationary one-
year period, a basic license is
issued at age 18.
Driving schools also may
facilitate contact between
teen drivers and a local motor
vehicle department, such as
setting up road and written
test appointments and en
abling teens to use their vehi
cles for the road test. Such
factors only underscore the
ways families can benefit
from enrolling young drivers
in driving school.
National Weather Service’s
StormReady class March 9
South Cherokee/Jasper
Driver Improvement Clinic, Inc. #2102
1623 East Church Street • Jasper, Georgia 30143
NEW DRIVER EDUCATION
(30/6 Joshua’s Law)
I' * c
cm*. 4
JjL
t^AIIC
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
(6 Hour Course)
DUI-RISK REDUCTION
(20 Hour Course)
Registration/Assessments
Monday & Thursdays 11 am to 7pm
All Classes meet Georgia State Requirements
CLASSES FORMING NOW
www.SouthCherokee.com 706-692-1632 or 770-928-3679
Interested in weather? The
National Weather Service is
offering a virtual Storm-
Ready class on Tuesday,
March 9th for Pickens
County residents.
Anyone can take the train
ing class, offered virtually
from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 9th. The free class will
teach you how to spot severe
weather situations and report
it to the National Weather
Service.
Reporting is done via
phone, online or social
media.
The class teaches what pa
rameters are reportable and
what the NWS is looking for
- damage, the time of the
weather event, type of dam
age, etc. The class also
teaches such things as learn
ing to recognize cloud forma
tions that indicate severe
weather is approaching.
To sign up for the class,
email John Nicholson, Pick
ens’ Emergency Manage
ment director at
jnicholson@pickenscoun-
tyga.gov
The Sheriff’s
Beat
From the Pickens
Sheriff’s Office
During this past week, the Pickens Sheriff’s Office responded
to or initiated 2,694 calls for service. These numbers are
taken from the report provided directly from the 911 Center
where all calls are logged as they are performed. Below is a
breakdown of all dispatched calls by the call type for each in-
cident.
Accidents
26
Suicide Threats / Attempts
5
Domestics
31
Theft / Burglary Related
20
Forgery / Fraud
8
Traffic Stops
122
Citations Issued
26
Animal Investigations
20
Suspicious Persons/Activity
52
Alarm Calls
26
Stranded Motorists
11
Street Hazards
7
Vandalism
7
Abandoned Vehicles
5
Extra Patrol - neighborhoods,
businesses, residences
1,948. In addition to these, other calls include search warrants,
civil service, 911 hang-up calls, assaults, disorderly persons,
missing persons, assistance with medical calls, natural death
investigations, demented persons, funeral escorts, harassment,
trespassing, and many more.
Breakdown of Charges for those Arrested:
16 individuals were booked into the Adult Detention Center
on charges from the Pickens Sheriff’s Office. Out of these,
the following charges were taken by PSO deputies (note:
some individuals have multiple charges):
Bond Violation
1
Possession of a Controlled Substance
4
Probation Violation- Felony
1
Drug Related Object
2
Tag Light
1
Driving Without a Valid License
1
No Proof of Insurance
1
Suspended or Revoked Registration
1
Fleeing/ Attempting to Elude
2
Reckless Conduct
1
Criminal Trespass
1
Too Fast for Conditions
1
DUI-Alcohol
2
Failure to Maintain Lane
3
Obstruction of LEO
2
DUI- Drugs
1
Following too Closely
1
Battery
4
Cruelty to Children
1
Give False Name/ Info to Police
1
Accountability Court Violation
2
Parole Violation
1
In addition to the above
activity from the Uniform
Patrol Division, Court
Service Deputies reported
the following statistics for
the past week:
Persons Scanned at Front
Door: 659
Weapons Found: 1
Courts Held: 10
Arrest Made in the
Courthouse: 2
Civil Papers Received : 44
Civil Papers Served: 38
In the Adult Detention
Center:
Total Jail population: 69
Total male inmates: 56
Total female inmates: 13
Sex Offenders:
There are currently 74 sex
offenders registered with
the Pickens Sheriff’s Office.
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