Section 16-5-26. Publication of second or subsequent conviction of simple assault, simple battery, or battery; cost of publication; good faith publications immune from liability

   (a) The clerk of the court in which a person is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of Code Section 16-5-20 and is sentenced pursuant to subsection (d) of such Code section, Code Section 16-5-23 and is sentenced pursuant to subsection (f) of such Code section, or Code Section 16-5-23.1 shall cause to be published a notice of conviction for such person. Such notice of conviction shall be published in the manner of legal notices in the legal organ of the county in which such person resides or, in the case of nonresidents, in the legal organ of the county in which the person was convicted. Such notice of conviction 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; the date, time, and place of arrest; and the disposition of the case and shall be published once in the legal organ of the appropriate county in the second week following such conviction or as soon thereafter as publication may be made.

(b) The convicted person for which a notice of conviction is published pursuant to 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 conviction in addition to any other fine imposed.

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

Code 1981, § 16-5-26, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 621, § 3A; Ga. L. 2005, p. 60, § 16/HB 95.