Local

City solicitor says there's 'nothing illegal' about reducing fines to get people to vote

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A local city solicitor told Channel 2 Action News there is nothing illegal about giving reduced fines to people if they register to vote.

She said she wanted people to be engaged in the political process, so she gave people with citations a discount if they registered.

"This is another opportunity for us to get people engaged in what is going on," Lashawn Jones said explaining her actions.

Jones wants people to be engaged in the political process and said giving them reduced fines is one way to do that.

"Whether they vote or not is not my interest. I didn't ask them that. But I did want them to be counted when the opportunity came whether its to serve on a jury or if they wanted to go out and vote," she said.

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Channel 2's Tom Jones reached out to Bryan Tyson, a election law attorney, who said the law prohibits anyone giving money, gifts or something of value to register to vote.

"In this case the challenge for the Solicitor is this discount is only offered for people who registered to vote or confirmed their registration Not for everybody who was there that day," Tyson said.

Jones is confident she did nothing wrong.

"Someone is trying to make a political mountain out of a molehill," she said.

Jones said she will continue the practice.

Tyson said the district attorney would have to bring charges in a case like this and he hasn't seen where one like this has been prosecuted.