Section 16-5-110. Publication of notice; information required; assessment for cost; immunity

   (a) When a person who has been convicted of a crime for which that person is required to register under Code Section 42-1-12 makes his or her first report to a sheriff after such person's release from confinement, placement on probation, or upon establishing residency in the county, the sheriff shall cause to be published a notice of conviction and release from confinement of such person. Such notice shall be one column wide by two inches long and shall contain the photograph taken by the arresting law enforcement agency at the time of arrest; the name and address of the convicted person; if available, the date, time, and place of arrest; and the disposition of the case. The notice shall be published at or near the time the person registers with the sheriff at least once, and, at the sheriff's option, may be published more than once, in the legal organ of the appropriate county. The notice shall include the address of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation website for additional information regarding the sexual offender registry.

(b) The convicted person for which a notice of conviction and release from confinement is published pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section shall be assessed $25.00 for the cost of publication of such notice, and such assessment shall be imposed at the time of reporting to the sheriff's office.

(c) The sheriff, the publisher of any legal organ which publishes a notice of conviction and release from confinement, and any other person involved in the publication of an erroneous notice of conviction and release from confinement shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for such erroneous publication, provided that such publication was made in good faith.

Code 1981, § 16-5-110, enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 467, § 1/HB 188; Ga. L. 2006, p. 72, § 16/SB 465; Ga. L. 2006, p. 379, § 7/HB 1059; Ga. L. 2007, p. 47, § 16/SB 103.