GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Georgia\'s Prosecutor Oversight Paradox: The PAQC, the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, and the Accountability Gap That Remains ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-04-03 10:26:39 EDT Research Date: 2026-03-21 Topic: Post-Conviction Reform / Wrongful Convictions JSON: https://gps.press/research-data/georgias-prosecutor-oversight-paradox-the-paqc-the-wrongful-conviction-compensation-act-and-the-accountability-gap-that-remains/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- This GPS investigative brief documents the paradox of Georgia's prosecutor oversight system: the state created the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) to punish prosecutors who fail to prosecute aggressively enough, and enacted the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act to pay exonerees $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration, yet built no mechanism to help innocent people prove their innocence. The PAQC dismissed 97.9% of complaints in 2025 (137 of 140), while its entire institutional orientation targets leniency rather than prosecutorial misconduct that produces wrongful convictions. The brief argues that the PAQC's statutory template proves Georgia can build prosecutor oversight with real teeth, but has chosen not to direct that power toward wrongful conviction accountability. LEGAL FACTS (14) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] PAQC created by SB 92, signed May 5, 2023 The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission was created by Senate Bill 92, signed by Governor Brian Kemp on May 5, 2023. It is an eight-member commission with jurisdiction over every elected or appointed district attorney and solicitor-general in Georgia. Date: 2023-05-05 Tags: legal,policy,investigations Sources: Governor Kemp signs SB 92 creating PAQC, May 5, 2023; SB 92 legislative text - [confirmed] PAQC has authority to remove prosecutors The PAQC has the authority to investigate alleged misconduct and to discipline, remove, or cause the involuntary retirement of prosecutors who meet the statutory conditions for removal. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia PAQC - [confirmed] Six statutory grounds for PAQC discipline The PAQC can discipline or remove a DA or solicitor-general on six grounds: (1) permanent mental or physical incapacity, (2) willful and persistent failure to carry out statutory duties, (3) conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, (4) willful misconduct in office, (5) conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, and (6) knowingly authorizing or permitting an assistant to commit any of the above. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: O.C.G.A. § 15-18-32 - [reported] 2026 legislation expanded PAQC grounds for discipline The 2026 legislative session added additional PAQC grounds for discipline including violating bar rules, failing to notify crime victims of prosecutorial actions, failing to comply with public records requests, and showing 'undue bias or prejudice' against the person being prosecuted. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] SB 92 added mandatory individual case review duty for prosecutors SB 92 added a new statutory duty requiring prosecutors to 'review every individual case for which probable cause for prosecution exists, and make a prosecutorial decision under the law based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.' This provision is directed at prosecutors who adopt categorical non-prosecution policies for certain offense types. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: O.C.G.A. § 15-18-32; SB 92 legislative text - [confirmed] DAs argued PAQC undermines voter choice The DAs challenging the PAQC argued that it 'aims to curtail the power of duly elected prosecutors and usurp the will of voters,' that removal bars service for 10 years effectively overriding an election, that it chills First Amendment free-speech rights by empowering discipline based on stated philosophies, and that the commission failed to consult with the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council as required by statute. Date: 2024-04-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024 - [confirmed] Georgia Supreme Court declined to approve PAQC rules in November 2023 The Georgia Supreme Court declined to approve the PAQC's proposed rules in November 2023, citing concerns about its constitutional authority to regulate prosecutors' general conduct. Date: 2023-11-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024 - [confirmed] SB 332 removed Supreme Court approval requirement for PAQC Rather than addressing the Georgia Supreme Court's concerns about the PAQC's constitutional authority, the legislature passed SB 332 in March 2024, removing the requirement for Supreme Court approval of PAQC rules and reactivating the commission. Date: 2024-03-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024 - [confirmed] PAQC removal bars prosecutor from office for 10 years If a DA is removed by the PAQC, they cannot serve again for 10 years — effectively overriding an election. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: O.C.G.A. § 15-18-32 - [confirmed] Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act signed May 14, 2025 On May 14, 2025, Governor Kemp signed the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act into law. The legislation was originally sponsored by Representative Katie Dempsey (R) and Representative Scott Holcomb (D), and was added to SB 244 by House leadership. Date: 2025-05-14 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement; SB 244 Signed - [confirmed] Compensation eligibility requirements A person must have been convicted of a felony by a Georgia court, served all or part of the sentence, and had the conviction reversed or vacated with charges dismissed, OR been pardoned on grounds of innocence. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: OSAH Wrongful Conviction Compensation Claims Portal; Abt Law Firm analysis of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act - [confirmed] Compensation filing deadline: 3 years from exoneration or July 1, 2025 Claims must be filed within three years of exoneration or within three years of July 1, 2025, whichever is later. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Abt Law Firm analysis of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act - [confirmed] HB 176 grace period for Cook v. State refiling People whose appeals were dismissed because of Cook v. State may refile before June 30, 2026 under HB 176. Date: 2025-05-14 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] SB 92 sponsored by Majority Whip Randy Robertson with 11 co-sponsors SB 92 was sponsored by Majority Whip Randy Robertson and co-sponsored by President Pro-Tem John Kennedy, Sen. Larry Walker III, Sen. Bill Cowsert, Sen. Matt Brass, Sen. Jason Anavitarte, Rep. Joseph Gullett, Rep. Houston Gaines, Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones, Rep. Stan Gunter, Rep. Jesse Petrea, and Rep. Matt Gambill. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: SB 92 legislative text FINDINGS (10) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] PAQC modeled on Judicial Qualifications Commission The PAQC is modeled on the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), which enforces standards of conduct for Georgia's judiciary. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia PAQC - [confirmed] PAQC members all appointed by Republican officials PAQC members were appointed by Governor Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, and the Senate Committee on Assignments — all Republican-controlled appointing authorities at the time of creation. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: policy,legal Sources: Georgia PAQC; Governor Kemp signs SB 92 creating PAQC, May 5, 2023 - [confirmed] PAQC widely understood as response to Willis and Gonzalez The PAQC is widely understood — by supporters and opponents alike — as a political response to two prosecutors in particular: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, who in August 2023 obtained an indictment against former President Trump and 18 others for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results; and Athens-Clarke County DA Deborah Gonzalez, who adopted non-prosecution policies for low-level drug possession, truancy, and other minor offenses. Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: policy,legal,investigations Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026; New Commission in Georgia Will Discipline and Remove Prosecutors, Criminal Legal News, June 2023 - [confirmed] PAQC does not address Brady violations or wrongful convictions The PAQC's statutory grounds for discipline and institutional orientation are directed at prosecutors who fail to prosecute — not prosecutors who prosecute wrongfully. The framework does not specifically address Brady violations, Rule 3.8 violations, securing wrongful convictions through prosecutorial misconduct, failing to review old cases for potential wrongful convictions, or coercing guilty pleas through trial penalty threats. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,corruption Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] Georgia previously had no standardized wrongful conviction compensation Before the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act, Georgia had no standardized process for compensating the wrongfully convicted. Exonerees had to find a state lawmaker willing to introduce an individual compensation bill on their behalf. Georgia was one of the last states in the country without a compensation statute. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement - [confirmed] Compensation Act only applies to already-exonerated individuals The Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act only applies to people who have already been exonerated — whose convictions have been reversed or vacated and whose charges have been dismissed. It does nothing to help people who are still inside the system trying to prove their innocence. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Abt Law Firm analysis of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act; GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] Core accountability gap: no mechanism to help innocent people prove innocence Georgia has built a commission to punish prosecutors who don't prosecute enough (PAQC), and a fund to compensate people after they prove their innocence (Compensation Act), but has done nothing to help innocent people prove their innocence in the first place. No conviction integrity unit with statewide jurisdiction exists, no independent body investigates prosecutors who secure wrongful convictions, and no institutional actor's structural incentive is aligned with discovering wrongful convictions. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] May 14, 2025 paradox: HB 176 and Compensation Act signed same day On May 14, 2025, Governor Kemp signed both HB 176 (codifying out-of-time appeals, fixing the Cook v. State gap) and the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act. Georgia simultaneously acknowledged harm from eliminated out-of-time appeals, created a payment mechanism for wrongful convictions, but left every other barrier to proving innocence intact. Date: 2025-05-14 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement; GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] Structural barriers remain despite compensation mechanism To receive compensation, a wrongfully convicted person must first navigate: the four-year habeas deadline (§ 9-14-42), the narrowed miscarriage of justice exception (§ 9-14-48(d)), the Harper v. State bar on § 17-9-4 challenges, the lack of appointed counsel in habeas proceedings (Gibson v. Turpin), procedural default rules that block meritorious claims, and the 156-county conviction integrity gap. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] PAQC proves Georgia can build prosecutor oversight with real power The PAQC's existence proves Georgia knows how to create prosecutor oversight with real teeth — removal power, investigation authority, a website, a staff, a complaint process, and an annual budget. The question is why that model has not been directed toward investigating prosecutors who convict the innocent. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox STATISTICS (8) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] PAQC membership: 6 of 8 are current or former prosecutors The PAQC has 8 members, of whom 6 are current or former prosecutors and 2 are other lawyers. Value: 6.0 current or former prosecutors out of 8 members (vs. 8 total PAQC members) Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: policy,legal Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox - [confirmed] PAQC 2025: 140 complaints filed, 137 dismissed (97.9% dismissal rate) Of 140 complaints filed with the PAQC in 2025, only three — all related complaints about the same solicitor general in a rural county — were not dismissed. The 97.9% dismissal rate mirrors the pattern identified in the State Bar's grievance process. Value: 97.9 percent dismissal rate Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,investigations Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] PAQC: 140 total complaints in 2025 The PAQC received 140 complaints in its first full year of operation in 2025. Value: 140.0 complaints Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] Compensation rate: $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration The Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act provides $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration. Value: 75000.0 dollars per year of wrongful incarceration Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,budget Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement; Abt Law Firm analysis of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act - [reported] 51 known Georgia exonerees since 1989 Georgia has 51 known exonerees since 1989. Value: 51.0 exonerees Tags: legal Sources: 11Alive investigation - wrongful conviction compensation - [reported] 610 collective years lost by Georgia exonerees Georgia's 51 known exonerees since 1989 collectively lost 610 years to wrongful incarceration. Value: 610.0 years of wrongful incarceration Tags: legal Sources: 11Alive investigation - wrongful conviction compensation - [estimated] Estimated total compensation liability: approximately $46 million 11Alive calculated that if each of Georgia's 51 known exonerees since 1989 pursues compensation for their collective 610 years lost, the state would owe approximately $46 million. Value: 46.0 million dollars estimated liability Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,budget Sources: 11Alive investigation - wrongful conviction compensation - [confirmed] Only 3 of 159 Georgia counties have any conviction integrity mechanism Only 3 of 159 Georgia counties have any conviction integrity mechanism. There is no conviction integrity unit with statewide jurisdiction. Value: 3.0 counties with conviction integrity mechanisms (vs. 159 total Georgia counties) Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox QUOTES (7) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Governor Kemp quote on PAQC purpose Governor Kemp stated: 'My No. 1 priority is public safety across our state. As hardworking law enforcement officers routinely put their lives on the line to investigate, confront, and arrest criminal offenders, I won't stand idly by as they're met with resistance from rogue or incompetent prosecutors who refuse to uphold the law.' Date: 2023-05-05 Tags: policy,legal Sources: Governor Kemp signs SB 92 creating PAQC, May 5, 2023 - [confirmed] Senator Robertson quote on rogue prosecutors Senator Robertson, the bill's sponsor, spoke of 'rogue prosecutors that refuse to prosecute violent criminals, lead defunct and understaffed offices, and impose blanket policies for non-prosecution of crimes.' Date: 2023-01-01 Tags: policy,legal Sources: Governor Kemp signs SB 92 creating PAQC, May 5, 2023 - [confirmed] Senator Cowsert quote on public faith in prosecutors Senator Bill Cowsert stated: 'There was quite a bit of evidence presented to us, and testimony about conduct of prosecutors and really the lack of public faith in the independence and the impartiality of the prosecuting attorneys in the state.' Date: 2026-03-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] Lt. Governor Burt Jones quote on Willis and PAQC Lt. Governor Burt Jones stated: 'Fani Willis' lawfare of President Trump and his allies has highlighted why oversight by the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission is vital.' Date: 2026-03-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] DA Jared Williams quote on PAQC lawsuit DA Jared Williams stated: 'This law is not about oversight, it's about overturning the will of voters. It creates a dangerous barrier between public officials and the communities we serve, discouraging transparency and undermining our freedom of speech.' Date: 2024-04-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024 - [confirmed] Georgia Innocence Project praise for Compensation Act The Georgia Innocence Project praised the Act as 'finally creat[ing] a uniform procedure for compensating Georgians who were wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for crimes they did not commit.' Date: 2025-07-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement - [reported] OSAH does not expect immediate flood of claims OSAH officials noted they do not expect 'dozens of claims and millions and millions of dollars all at once.' Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,budget Sources: 11Alive investigation - wrongful conviction compensation CASE DETAILS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Bipartisan DA lawsuit challenging PAQC constitutionality In April 2024, a bipartisan group of Georgia district attorneys — led by DeKalb County DA Sherry Boston (D), Towaliga Circuit DA Jonathan Adams (R), and Augusta Circuit DA Jared Williams (D) — filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court challenging the PAQC's constitutionality. The suit was brought with the support of Public Rights Project, a national nonprofit. Date: 2024-04-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024 - [confirmed] Washington County SG Michael Howard resigned under PAQC investigation Washington County Solicitor General Michael Howard resigned in July 2025 while under PAQC investigation, agreeing to never run for a prosecutor post again. He was the only target of the three non-dismissed complaints, which were all related. Every other complaint was dismissed. Date: 2025-07-01 Tags: legal,policy,investigations Sources: Georgia Supreme Court, 2025 PAQC Cases; Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 - [confirmed] Fani Willis indicted Trump and 18 others in August 2023 Fulton County DA Fani Willis in August 2023 obtained an indictment against former President Trump and 18 others for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Date: 2023-08-01 Tags: legal,investigations Sources: Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026 POLICYS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] PAQC complaint process requires sworn affidavit The PAQC complaint process requires a sworn affidavit laying out the personal knowledge of the complainant, required disclosures about the complainant's relationship to the case, and the statutory basis for the complaint must be checked off. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: PAQC Filing a Complaint page - [confirmed] PAQC does not consider pre-adoption misconduct The PAQC's FAQ states that it does not consider any misconduct that occurred before its rules were adopted, citing due process concerns. The commission was initially authorized in 2023 but could not begin work until 2024. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: PAQC FAQ page - [confirmed] Claims processed by OSAH administrative law judges Wrongful conviction compensation claims are filed with the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH), not through the legislature or a new commission. Administrative law judges hear and evaluate the claims. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: OSAH Wrongful Conviction Compensation Claims Portal DATA GAPS (1) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] No mechanism connects PAQC authority with Rule 3.8 obligations Georgia has not built a system to connect the PAQC's authority with the State Bar's Rule 3.8 obligations. No mechanism exists for the PAQC or any other body to review claims that prosecutors violated Rule 3.8 by suppressing evidence of innocence. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,corruption Sources: GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox DATASETS (2) ---------------------------------------- # PAQC 2025 Complaint Outcomes Breakdown of complaint outcomes for the PAQC's first full year of operation in 2025 Outcome Count Percentage -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dismissed 137 97.9 Not dismissed (all related to same solicitor general) 3 2.1 Total 140 100 # Georgia Wrongful Conviction Compensation Liability Estimate Estimated fiscal impact of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act based on known exonerees Metric Value ------------------------------------------ Known exonerees since 1989 51 Collective years lost 610 Compensation rate $75,000/year Estimated total liability ~$46 million KEY ENTITIES (25) ---------------------------------------- - Bill Cowsert [person]: State Senator, former Senate Majority Leader, Republican AG candidate. Athens-area, no prison reform positions. - Brian Kemp [person]: Governor of Georgia who proposed $600 million in emergency spending over 18 months for prison reform in January 2025. (aka: Governor Kemp) - Burt Jones [person]: Georgia Lt. Governor, Trump-endorsed Republican frontrunner for Governor 2026. Exclusively punitive legislative record. - Deborah Gonzalez [person]: Athens-Clarke County DA who adopted non-prosecution policies for low-level drug possession, truancy, and other minor offenses. Cited as political catalyst for PAQC creation. - Fani Willis [person]: Fulton County District Attorney under whose administration the CIU continued operating and achieved notable exonerations. - Georgia Innocence Project [organization]: Founded in 2002, the first and only innocence organization in Georgia. Has helped free or exonerate 16 individuals who collectively lost 372 years to wrongful imprisonment. Received over 7,900 requests for assistance. (aka: GIP) - Georgia Prisoners' Speak [organization]: Advocacy organization documenting conditions inside Georgia prisons through photos and insider accounts, including food inadequacy. (aka: GPS) - Georgia Supreme Court [organization]: Highest court in Georgia; issued Cook v. State ruling and denied Bharadia's DNA evidence claim - HB 176 [legislation]: Georgia legislation signed by Governor Kemp on May 14, 2025, codifying out-of-time appeals and including a grace period (until June 30, 2026) for people whose appeals were dismissed because of Cook v. State to refile. Does not address judicial narrowing of § 9-14-48(d) or § 17-9-4. (aka: House Bill 176) - Jared Williams [person]: Augusta Circuit DA (D) who co-led the bipartisan lawsuit challenging the PAQC's constitutionality. (aka: DA Jared Williams) - Jon Burns [person]: Georgia Speaker of the House and one of the appointing authorities for PAQC members. (aka: Speaker of the House Jon Burns) - Jonathan Adams [person]: Towaliga Circuit DA (R) who co-led the bipartisan lawsuit challenging the PAQC's constitutionality. (aka: DA Jonathan Adams) - Judicial Qualifications Commission [organization]: Georgia commission that enforces standards of conduct for the judiciary. The PAQC was modeled on the JQC. (aka: JQC) - Katie Dempsey [person]: Republican state representative who co-sponsored the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act. (aka: Rep. Katie Dempsey) - Michael Howard [person]: Washington County Solicitor General who resigned in July 2025 under PAQC investigation, agreeing to never run for a prosecutor post again. Only target of substantive PAQC action in 2025. (aka: Washington County Solicitor General Michael Howard) - OSAH [organization]: Georgia state agency that administers wrongful conviction compensation claims under SB 244. (aka: Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings, Office of State Administrative Hearings) - PAQC [organization]: Georgia's prosecutor oversight commission created by SB 92 in May 2023, with 8 members and direct removal power. Currently facing constitutional challenge. (aka: Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission) - Public Rights Project [organization]: National nonprofit that supported the bipartisan DA lawsuit challenging the PAQC's constitutionality. - Randy Robertson [person]: Georgia State Senator, District 29, Chairman of the SR 570 Study Committee (aka: Senator Robertson) - SB 244 [legislation]: Georgia legislation signed May 14, 2025 providing $75,000 per year compensation to wrongfully convicted individuals who were formally exonerated. Georgia became the 39th state with such a law. (aka: Georgia Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act) - SB 332 [legislation]: Georgia Senate Bill passed in March 2024 that removed Supreme Court oversight from the PAQC. - SB 92 [legislation]: Georgia Senate Bill that created the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) in May 2023. - Scott Holcomb [person]: Democratic state representative who co-sponsored the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act. (aka: Rep. Scott Holcomb) - Sherry Boston [person]: DeKalb County DA (D) who led the bipartisan lawsuit challenging the PAQC's constitutionality in April 2024. (aka: DA Sherry Boston) - Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act [legislation]: Georgia law signed May 14, 2025 by Governor Kemp, establishing $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration plus $25,000 per year on death row. Part of SB 244. (aka: SB 244 (compensation provision)) SOURCES (18) ---------------------------------------- - 11Alive investigation - wrongful conviction compensation, 11Alive (2025-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/11alive-news-investigates/georgia-may-have-to-pay-out-wrongful-conviction-compensation-act/85-c8933574-1eb9-4969-a021-e203f13acc0f - Abt Law Firm analysis of the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, Abt Law Firm (2025-11-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.abtlaw.com/blog/2025/november/understanding-the-wrongful-conviction-compensation-act-in-georgia/ - Georgia District Attorneys File New Lawsuit Against the State, Public Rights Project, April 16, 2024, Public Rights Project (2024-04-16) [press_release, primary] URL: https://www.publicrightsproject.org/news-insights/press-releases/georgia-district-attorneys-file-new-lawsuit-against-the-state-to-challenge-reactivated-oversight-commission/ - Georgia Innocence Project - Compensation Act announcement, Georgia Innocence Project (2025-01-01) [press_release, primary] URL: https://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/general/wrongful-conviction-and-incarceration-compensation-act-is-law/ - Georgia PAQC, Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (2023-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://paqcga.gov/about/ - Georgia Republicans push more bills aimed at Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Associated Press, March 2026, Associated Press (2026-03-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.timescall.com/2026/03/06/prosecutor-discipline-georgia/ - Georgia Supreme Court, 2025 PAQC Cases, Georgia Supreme Court (2025-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://www.gasupreme.us/2025-paqc-cases/ - Governor Kemp signs SB 92 creating PAQC, May 5, 2023, Office of the Governor of Georgia (2023-05-05) [press_release, primary] URL: https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-05-05/gov-kemp-signs-legislation-creating-prosecuting-attorneys-qualifications - GPS Investigative Research Brief: Georgia's Prosecutor Oversight Paradox, Georgia Prisoners' Speak (2026-03-01) [gps_original, primary] - New Commission in Georgia Will Discipline and Remove Prosecutors, Criminal Legal News, June 2023, Criminal Legal News (2023-06-15) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.criminallegalnews.org/news/2023/jun/15/new-commission-georgia-will-discipline-and-remove-prosecutors-who-are-seen-not-tough-enough-crime/ - O.C.G.A. § 15-18-32, Official Code of Georgia Annotated (2025-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://paqcga.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/15-18-32-current-through-2025.pdf - OSAH Wrongful Conviction Compensation Claims Portal, Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings (2025-01-01) [data_portal, primary] URL: https://osah.ga.gov/wrongful-conviction-compensation-2/ - PAQC FAQ page, Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission [official_report, primary] URL: https://paqcga.gov/faq/ - PAQC Filing a Complaint page, Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission [official_report, primary] URL: https://paqcga.gov/filing-a-complaint/ - PAQC Rules, Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (2024-03-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://paqcga.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PAQC-RULES-March-2024.pdf - Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission launches website, 11Alive, November 2024, 11Alive (2024-11-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/state/prosecuting-attorneys-qualifications-commission-launches-website-allows-complaints-filed-online/85-ae92f67b-83b5-49bc-8559-da5790fb1c73 - SB 244 Signed, Office of the Governor of Georgia (2025-05-14) [legislation, primary] URL: https://gov.georgia.gov/document/2025-signed-legislation/sb-244/download - SB 92 legislative text, Georgia General Assembly (2023-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/64008