§ 2-8-33 - Action for civil penalty or injunctive relief; costs

O.C.G.A. 2-8-33 (2010)
2-8-33. Action for civil penalty or injunctive relief; costs


(a) The Attorney General of this state shall, upon complaint by the Commissioner, or may, upon his own initiative if after examination of the complaint and evidence he believes a violation has occurred, bring an action in the superior court in the name of the Commissioner for civil penalties or for injunctive relief, including specific performance of any obligation imposed by a marketing order or any rule or regulation issued under this article, or both, against any person violating any provisions of this article or of any marketing order or any rule or regulation duly issued by the Commissioner or any commission under this article.

(b) If it appears to the court, upon any application for a temporary restraining order, upon the hearing of any order to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not be issued, or upon the hearing of any motion for a preliminary injunction, or if the court finds in any such action that any defendant therein is violating or has violated any provision of this article or of any marketing order or any rule or regulation duly issued by the Commissioner or any commission under this article, then the court shall enjoin the defendant from committing further violations and may compel specific performance of any obligation imposed by a marketing order or any rule or regulation issued by the Commissioner or commission under this article. It shall not be necessary in such event to allege or prove lack of an adequate remedy at law.

(c) In any action brought by the Attorney General to enforce any of the provisions of this article or of any marketing order issued by the Commissioner or any commission and effective under this article or of any rule or regulation issued by the Commissioner or any commission pursuant to any marketing order, the judgment, if in favor of the Commissioner or the commission, may provide that the defendant pay to the Commissioner or to the commission concerned with the administration of such marketing order the costs incurred by the Commissioner or by the commission in the prosecution of such action.