State v. Davis (Ga. 2018)

State v. Davis, 814 S.E.2d 701 (Ga. 2018)

Nature of Case: Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles granted Appellant a pardon for a historical sex offense, for which he was required to register as a sex offender. Thereafter, Appellant relocated without updating law enforcement and was subsequently arrested for violating Georgia’s sex offender registration laws. Appellant argued in the trial court that the pardon relieved him of his duty to register, and trial court disagreed. Appellant sough review.

Holding:  Georgia Supreme Court held that imposition of requirements of sex offender registry constituted a disability such that a pardon from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles relieved him of duty to register. Judgment reversed.