GA Code § 16-15-4 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 16 - Crimes and Offenses|Chapter 15 - Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention|§ 16-15-4. Participation in Criminal Gang Activity Prohibited

  It shall be unlawful for any person employed by or associated with a criminal street gang to conduct or participate in criminal gang activity through the commission of any offense enumerated in paragraph (1) of Code Section 16-15-3.   It shall be unlawful for any person to commit any offense enumerated in paragraph (1) of Code Section 16-15-3 with the intent to obtain or earn membership or maintain or increase his or her status or position in a criminal street gang.   It shall be unlawful for any person to acquire or maintain, directly or indirectly, through criminal gang activity or proceeds derived therefrom any interest in or control of any real or personal property of any nature, including money.   It shall be unlawful for any person who occupies a position of organizer, supervisory position, or any other position of management or leadership with regard to a criminal street gang to engage in, directly or indirectly, or conspire to engage in criminal gang activity.   It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, encourage, solicit, recruit, or coerce another to become a member or associate of a criminal street gang, to participate in a criminal street gang, or to conduct or participate in criminal gang activity.   It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate, directly or indirectly, with another any threat of injury or damage to the person or property of the other person or of any associate or relative of the other person with the intent to deter such person from assisting a member or associate of a criminal street gang to withdraw from such criminal street gang.   It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate, directly or indirectly, with another any threat of injury or damage to the person or property of the other person or of any associate or relative of the other person with the intent to punish or retaliate against such person for having withdrawn from a criminal street gang.   It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate, directly or indirectly, with another any threat of injury or damage to the person or property of the other person or of any associate or relative of the other person with the intent to punish or retaliate against such person for refusing to or encouraging another to refuse to become or obtain the status of a member or associate of a criminal street gang.   It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate, directly or indirectly, with another any threat of injury or damage to the person or property of the other person or of any associate or relative of the other person with the intent to punish or retaliate against such person for providing statements or testimony against criminal street gangs or any criminal street gang member or associate.   In addition to the prohibitions set forth in Code Section 16-10-93, it shall be unlawful for any person to communicate, directly or indirectly, with another any threat of injury or damage to the person or property of the other person or of any associate or relative of the other person with the intent to intimidate, deter, or prevent such person from communicating to any law enforcement or corrections officer, prosecuting attorney, or judge information relating to criminal street gangs, criminal street gang members or associates, or criminal gang activity.     Any person who violates subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, in addition to any other penalty imposed, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for five years but not more than 20 years or pay a fine of not less than $10,000.00 nor more than $15,000.00, or both.   Any person who violates subsection (a) of this Code section through the commission of a violation of Code Section 42-5-18 shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, in addition to any other penalty imposed, shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years but not more than 20 years which shall be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and no portion of the mandatory minimum sentence imposed shall be suspended, stayed, probated, deferred, or withheld by the sentencing court.   Any person who violates subsection (d) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, in addition to any other penalty imposed, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for five years but not more than 20 years which shall be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.   Any person who violates subsection (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), or (j) of this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, in addition to any other penalty imposed, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for five years but not more than 20 years.     In addition to any other penalty provided by this Code section, all sentences imposed under this Code section shall require as a special condition of the sentence that the person sentenced shall not knowingly have contact of any kind or character with any other member or associate of a criminal street gang, shall not participate in any criminal gang activity, and, in cases involving a victim, shall not knowingly have contact of any kind or character with any such victim or any member of any such victim's family or household.   Any crime committed in violation of this Code section shall be considered a separate offense.     (Code 1981, §16-15-4, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 3236, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 270, § 8; Ga. L. 2006, p. 519, § 2/HB 1302; Ga. L. 2010, p. 230, § 3/HB 1015; Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 16/HB 142; Ga. L. 2016, p. 811, § 4/HB 874.)    The 2016 amendment,  effective May 3, 2016, rewrote subsection (k).   Cross references.   - Admission of criminal gang activity evidence, § 24-4-418.   Editor's notes.   - Ga. L. 2006, p. 519, § 7/HB 1302, not codified by the General Assembly, provided that the 2006 amendment shall be effective July 1, 2006, and shall be applicable to all crimes committed on or after such date, and also provided that: "Any offense committed before July 1, 2006, shall be punishable as provided by the statute in effect at the time the offense was committed."   Law reviews.   - For annual survey of criminal law, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 153 (2004). For annual survey on criminal law, see 68 Mercer L. Rev. 93 (2016).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   ANALYSIS    General Consideration   Indictment   Application   Sentence    RESEARCH REFERENCES   ALR.   - Validity of criminal state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Acts and similar acts related to gang activity and the like, 58 A.L.R.6th 385.