Standard of proof; procedure; intervention by Attorney General

(a) In any civil action brought under this article, the State of Georgia or person bringing the civil action shall be required to prove all essential elements of the cause of civil action, including damages, by a preponderance of the evidence. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this article, all civil actions brought under this article shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 11 of Title 9, the “Georgia Civil Practice Act.” (c) If the Attorney General elects to intervene and proceed with a civil action brought pursuant to this article, the Attorney General may file his or her own complaint or amend the complaint of a person who has brought a civil action under this article to clarify or add detail to the claims in which the Attorney General is intervening and to add any additional claims with respect to which the State of Georgia contends it is entitled to relief. For purposes of the statute of limitations, any such pleading by the Attorney General shall relate back to the filing date of the complaint of the person who originally brought the civil action, to the extent that the claim of the State of Georgia arises out of the conduct, transactions, or occurrences set forth, or attempted to be set forth, in the original complaint by such person. History. Code 1981, § 49-4-168.3, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 355, § 3/HB 551; Ga. L. 2012, p. 127, § 2-1/HB 822. 49-4-168.4. Protection of employees from discrimination; relief; statute of limitations. (a) Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make such employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by such employee, contractor, agent or associated others in furtherance of a civil action under this Code section or other efforts to stop one or more violations of this article. (b) Relief under subsection (a) of this Code section shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status that such employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. A civil action under this subsection may be brought in an appropriate court of this state for the relief provided in this Code section. 155 49-4-168.4 SOCIAL SERVICES 49-4-168.6 (c) Notwithstanding Code Section 49-4-168.5, a civil action under this Code section may not be brought more than three years after the date when the discrimination occurred. History. Code 1981, § 49-4-168.4, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 355, § 3/HB 551; Ga. L. 2012, p. 127, § 2-1/HB 822.