Does the Georgia Constitution prohibit ex post facto laws and bills of attainder?

Does the Georgia Constitution prohibit ex post facto laws and bills of attainder?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Only ex post facto
• D. Only bills of attainder

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is protecting people from retroactive punishment and from being singled out for punishment by the legislature without a trial. The Georgia Constitution bars both practices: it forbids ex post facto laws that punish conduct retroactively or increase penalties after the fact, and it also bans bills of attainder, which are laws that punish individuals or groups without the benefit of a trial. Because both protections are explicit, the answer is that these prohibitions apply in Georgia, so both ex post facto laws and bills of attainder are not allowed. In practice, think of it as a shield against retroactive criminal penalties and against legislatures declaring someone guilty and punishing them without a judicial process.