Gwinnett solicitor to recommend year in jail for New Year’s gunfire

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Before you go all Yosemite Sam with your New Year’s celebrations, ask yourself: Is this worth a year in jail?

The Gwinnett County Solicitor General’s Office will recommend a yearlong sentence for anyone convicted of “reckless celebratory discharging of firearms,” it announced Monday. Prosecutors will also ask judges to confiscate the offender’s gun and levy the maximum possible fine. Judges take prosecutors’ recommendations under consideration during sentencing, but the final decision is solely theirs to make.

“The solicitor general’s office will continue its efforts to ensure Gwinnett citizens feel safe and secure through aggressive and innovative prosecution,” said investigator Curtis Clemons in a statement. “Further, the above measures are being implemented to deter any individuals who would endanger the public through reckless disregard of human life and safety.”

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Shooting a gun in the air can still cause harm to people and property due to falling bullets.

A Lilburn man was killed by celebratory gunfire on Dec. 31, 2010. Two men were charged with shooting guns under the influence of alcohol and near public roads on Jan. 1, 2019, according to Gwinnett County jail records. Each also faced a charge of reckless conduct.

In Georgia, it is illegal to fire a gun on someone’s property without permission, within 50 feet of a public road or highway and while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Violating any of those laws is a misdemeanor offense. The solicitor general’s office prosecutes misdemeanors, while the district attorney’s office prosecutes felonies.

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