Georgia Statutes
§ 16-3-20 — Justification
Georgia § 16-3-20
JurisdictionGeorgia
Title16
This text of Georgia § 16-3-20 (Justification) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Bluebook
O.C.G.A. § 16-3-20 (2026).
Text
The fact that a person's conduct is justified is a defense to prosecution for any crime based on that conduct. The defense of justification can be claimed:
(1)When the person's conduct is justified under Code Section 16-3-21 , 16-3-23 , 16-3-24 , 16-3-25 , or 16-3-26 ;
(2)When the person's conduct is in reasonable fulfillment of his duties as a government officer or employee;
(3)When the person's conduct is the reasonable discipline of a minor by his parent or a person in loco parentis;
(4)When the person's conduct is reasonable and is performed in the course of making a lawful arrest;
(5)When the person's conduct is justified for any other reason under the laws of this state, including as provided in Code Section 51-1-29 ; or (6) In all other instances which stand upon the same footi
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Related
Butler v. State
738 S.E.2d 74 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2013)
Arsenault v. State
571 S.E.2d 456 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2002)
Mitchell v. State
369 S.E.2d 487 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1988)
Glenn v. State
849 S.E.2d 409 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2020)
State v. COPELAND (Three Cases)
850 S.E.2d 736 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2020)
Wells v. State
407 S.E.2d 86 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1991)
Mayfield v. State
623 S.E.2d 725 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2005)
In the Interest of A. D.
673 S.E.2d 116 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2009)
Tabb v. State
723 S.E.2d 295 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2012)
Anderson v. the State.
822 S.E.2d 684 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2018)
Strickland v. State
364 S.E.2d 872 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1987)
Tarvestad v. State
403 S.E.2d 446 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1991)
Waters v. State
393 S.E.2d 280 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1990)
Luke v. State
703 S.E.2d 335 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2010)
Mullins v. State
307 S.E.2d 61 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1983)
Taylor v. State
348 S.E.2d 582 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1986)
Jackson v. State
475 S.E.2d 680 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1996)
Christina McDaniel v. State
(Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2021)
Joana Espinosa-Herrera v. State
(Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2021)
Budhani v. State
306 Ga. 315 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2019)
Legislative History
Amended by 2015 Ga. Laws 86,§ 2-2, eff. 7/1/2015.
Nearby Sections
15
§ 16-1-1
Short title§ 16-1-2
Purposes of title§ 16-1-3
Definitions§ 16-10-1
Violation of oath by public officer§ 16-10-2
BriberyCite This Page — Counsel Stack
Bluebook (online)
Georgia § 16-3-20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/ga/16-3-20.