                  CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA
                           (ratified 1945)

                               PREAMBLE

   To  perpetuate the principles of free government,  insure justice to  all, 
preserve  peace,  promote  the  interest and happiness of  the  citizen,  and 
transmit  to posterity the enjoyment of liberty,  we,  the people of Georgia, 
relying  upon  the  protection and guidance of Almighty God,  do  ordain  and 
establish this Constitution.

                               ARTICLE I

                            BILL OF RIGHTS

                               SECTION I

Paragraph  I.     All government,  of right,  originates with the people,  is 
founded  upon their will only,  and is instituted solely for the good of  the 
whole.  Public  officers are the trustees and servants of the people,  and at 
all times, amenable to them.

Paragraph  II    .Protection to person and property is the paramount duty  of 
the government, and shall be impartial and complete.

Paragraph III.   No person shall be deprived of life,  liberty,  or property, 
except by due process of law.

Paragraph  IV.    No  person shall be deprived of the right to  prosecute  or 
defend  his  own  cause in any of the courts of this  State,  in  person,  by 
attorney, or both.

Paragraph V.    Every person charged with an offense against the laws of this 
State shall have the privilege and benefit of counsel; shall be furnished, on 
demand,  with a copy of the accusation,  and a list of the witnesses on whose 
testimony the charge against him is founded; shall have compulsory process to 
obtain  the  testimony  of his own witnesses;  shall be confronted  with  the 
witnesses testifying against him; and shall have a public and speedy trial by 
an impartial jury.

Paragraph VI    No person shall be compelled to give testimony tending in any 
manner to incriminate himself.

Paragraph  VII.   Neither  banishment  beyond the limits of  the  State,  nor 
whipping, as a punishment for crime, shall be allowed.

Paragraph  VIII   No person shall be put in jeopardy of life or liberty  more 
than  once  for the same offense,  save on his,  or her own motion for a  new 
trial after conviction, or in case of mistrial.

Paragraph  IX     Excessive bail shall not be required,  nor excessive  fines 
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted; nor shall any person be 
abused in being arrested, while under arrest, or in prison.

Paragraph  X      No  person  shall be compelled to pay  costs  except  after 
conviction on final trial.

Paragraph XI    The writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended.

Paragraph  XII    All men have the natural and inalienable right  to  worship 
God,  each  according  to the dictates of his own conscience,  and  no  human 
authority  should,  in  any  case,  control or interfere with such  right  of 
conscience.

Paragraph  XIII   No inhabitant of this State shall be molested in person  or 
property, or prohibited from holding any public office, or trust,  on account 
of  his religious opinions;  but the right of liberty of conscience shall not 
be  so  construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness,  or justify  practices 
inconsistent with the peace and safety of the State.

Paragraph  XIV    No  money  shall ever be taken from  the  public  Treasury, 
directly  or  indirectly,  in aid of any church,  sect,  or  denomination  of 
religionists, or of any sectarian institution.

Paragraph  XV     No  law shall ever be passed to curtail,  or  restrain  the 
liberty of speech, or of the press;  any person may speak,  write and publish 
his  sentiments,  on  all subjects,  being responsible for the abuse of  that 
liberty.

Paragraph  XVI    The  right  of the people to be secure  in  their  persons, 
houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall 
not  be  violated;  and  no warrant shall issue except upon  probable  cause, 
supported  by oath,  or affirmation,  particularly describing the  place,  or 
places, to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Paragraph  XVII   There shall be within the State of Georgia neither  slavery 
nor  involuntary  servitude,   save  as  punishment  for  crime  after  legal 
conviction thereof.

Paragraph  XVIII The social status of the citizen shall never be the  subject 
of legislation.

Paragraph XIX   The civil authority shall be superior to the military, and no 
soldier  shall,  in  time  of peace,  be quartered in any house  without  the 
consent of the owner, nor in time of war, except by the civil magistrate,  in 
such manner as may be provided by law.

Paragraph  XX     The  power of the Courts to punish for  contempt  shall  be 
limited by legislative acts.

Paragraph XXI   There shall be no imprisonment for debt.

Paragraph  XXII  The right of the people to keep and bear arms,  shall not be 
infringed,  but the General Assembly shall have power to prescribe the manner 
in which arms may be borne.

Paragraph XXIII The legislative, judicial, and executive powers shall forever 
remain  separate and distinct,  and no person discharging the duties of  one, 
shall,  at  the  same time,  exercise the functions of either of the  others, 
except as herein provided.

Paragraph  XXIV   The people have the right to assemble peaceably  for  their 
common  good  and to apply to those vested with the powers of government  for 
redress of grievances by petition or remonstrance.

Paragraph  XXV   All citizens of the United States,  resident in this  State, 
are  hereby declared citizens of this State,  and it shall be the duty of the 
General  Assembly  to  enact  such  laws as will protect  them  in  the  full 
enjoyment of the rights, privileges and immunities due to such citizenship.

                              SECTION II

Paragraph I     In all prosecutions or indictments for libel the truth may be 
given in evidence; and the jury in all criminal cases, shall be the judges of 
the law and the facts. The power of the judges to grant new trials in case of 
conviction is preserved.

Paragraph  II     Treason  against the State of  Georgia,  shall  consist  in 
levying  war  against  her;  adhering to her enemies;  giving  them  aid  and 
comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason,  except on the testimony of 
two witnesses to the same overt act, or confession in open court.

Paragraph  III   No conviction shall work corruption of blood,  or forfeiture 
of estate.

Paragraph  IV    All lotteries,  and the sale of lottery tickets,  are hereby 
prohibited; and this prohibition shall be enforced by penal laws.

Paragraph V     Lobbying is declared to be a crime,  and the General Assembly 
shall enforce this provision by suitable penalties.

Paragraph  VI    The General Assembly shall have the power to provide for the 
punishment of fraud; and, shall provide by law,  for reaching property of the 
debtor concealed from the creditor.

                            SECTION III

Paragraph  I     1.  In case of necessity,  private ways may be granted  upon 
just  compensation being first paid by the applicant.  Private property shall 
not  be taken,  or damaged,  for public purposes,  without just and  adequate 
compensation being first paid,  except that when private property is taken or 
damaged for public road and street purposes by the State and the counties and 
the municipalities of the State, just and adequate compensation therefor need 
not  be paid until the same has been finally fixed and determined as provided 
by  law,  but  such  just and adequate compensation  shall then  be  paid  in 
preference  to all other obligations except bonded indebtedness.  The General 
Assembly may by law require the condemnor to make prepayment against adequate 
compensation as a condition precedent to the exercise of the right of eminent 
domain  and  provide  for the disbursement of the same to the  end  that  the 
rights  and equities of the property owner,  lien holders,  and the State and 
its subdivisions may be protected.

             2.  Notwithstanding  any other provisions of this  Constitution, 
the  General  Assembly of the State of Georgia may be (by)  law  require  the 
State  and  State agencies and institutions,  and  counties,  municipalities, 
school  districts,   political  subdivisions,   public  authorities,   public 
agencies, public corporations and public instrumentalities created under this 
Constitution or the laws of this State: (i)  to provide relocation assistance 
and  payments to persons displaced by public projects or programs  undertaken 
or sponsored by the foregoing public entities,  including without limitation, 
all  of those relocation assistances and payments as are,  by Section 210  of 
that  certain  Act of Congress of the United States of America Known  as  the 
Uniform  Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act  of 
1970 (Public Law 91-646, 91st Congress, approved January 2,  1971),  required 
to  be made or furnished to such displaced persons by such public entities in 
order  that federal financial assistance can be made available to such public 
entities  with  respect  to  the public projects  or  programs  causing  such 
displacements,  and (ii)  to establish and implement acquisition policies and 
practices  and provide for the payment or reimbursement of necessary expenses 
of  persons whose properties are acquired in connection with the  acquisition 
of real property for public projects or programs,  such policies,  practices, 
payments  and  reimbursements  to include,  without  limitation,  those  real 
property acquisitions policies, practices,  payments and reimbursements which 
Section   305  of  said  Uniform  Relocation  Assistance  and  Real  Property 
Acquisition  Policies Act of 1970 requires that the foregoing public entities 
establish  and  implement  or  pay and reimburse,  as the  case  may  be,  in 
acquiring real property for a public project or program in order that federal 
financial  assistance  can  be made available to such  public  entities  with 
respect to such projects or programs. The providing of all of such relocation 
assistances  and  payments and,  in connection with the acquisition  of  real 
property  for  public projects or programs,  the establishing of all of  such 
necessary  expenses,  are declared to be necessary,  among other reasons,  in 
order  to avoid the loss of large sums of money which will otherwise be  made 
available  to  the foregoing public entities as financial assistance  by  the 
United   States  of  America  and  shall  constitute  governmental  functions 
undertaken  for public purposes,  and the powers of taxation may be exercised 
and public funds expended in furtherance thereof. [Editorial note:  The title 
of  Paragraph  I was amended and subparagraph 2 added by  amendment  ratified 
November 7, 1972.]

Paragraph II    No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, retroactive law,  or 
law  impairing  the obligation of contracts,  or making irrevocable grant  of 
special privileges or immunities, shall be passed.

Paragraph  III   All exemptions from taxation heretofore granted in corporate 
charters are declared henceforth null and void.

                               SECTION IV

Paragraph  I      Laws  of a general nature shall have  a  uniform  operation 
throughout  the  State,  and no special law shall be enacted in any case  for 
which  provision  has been made by an existing general law.  No  general  law 
affecting private rights, shall be varied in any particular case,  by special 
legislation, except with the free consent,  in writing,  of all persons to be 
affected  thereby;  and  no  person under legal disability  to  contract,  is 
capable  of  such  consent.  [Editorial note:  that portion  of  paragraph  I 
beginning  with the word "except"  and continuing to the end of the paragraph 
was added by an amendment ratified on November 8, 1960.]

Paragraph  II    Legislative acts in violation of this Constitution,  or  the 
Constitution  of  the United States,  are void,  and the Judiciary  shall  so 
declare them.

                               SECTION V

Paragraph  I      The  people  of this State  have  the  inherent,  sole  and 
exclusive  right  to  regulating their internal government,  and  the  police 
thereof, and of altering and abolishing their Constitution whenever it may be 
necessary to their safety and happiness.

Paragraph  II    The enumeration of rights herein contained as a part of this 
Constitution shall not be construed to deny to the people any inherent rights 
which they may have hitherto enjoyed.

                               SECTION VI

Paragraph  I     The act of the General Assembly approved December 16,  1902, 
which  extends the title of ownership of lands abutting on tide water to  low 
water mark is hereby ratified and confirmed.

