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Criminal law judges tend to be more objective now than a year ago. This trend is underlined in the report presented today by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA).
According to the report, judges are less inclined to use pre-trail detention as a preventative measure than they were in the past. Requiring funds posted as bail is more common now.
Monitoring also revealed that the courts almost never released accused people on their recognizance. Instead, they usually choose detention or bail.
The report also says that judges are too passive in plea agreement hearings. They automatically approve the agreements if the Prosecutors Office initiates them. However, the percentage of plea agreements and the amount of the average fine has decreased when compared to the past.
GYLAs monitoring in Tbilisi and Kutaisi City Courts covers the period from January 2013 to July 2013 and is funded by USAID.
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