42-4-12. Penalty for refusal by officer to receive persons charged with or guilty of offense.

Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, any sheriff, constable, keeper of a jail, or other officer whose duty it is to receive persons charged with or guilty of an indictable offense who refuses to receive and take charge of such a person shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00. A sheriff, constable, keeper of a jail, or other officer whose duty it is to receive persons charged with or guilty of an indictable offense shall be authorized to refuse acceptance of any person who has not received medical treatment for obvious physical injuries or conditions of an emergency nature. Upon such refusal, it shall be the responsibility of the arresting agency to take the individual to a health care facility or health care provider in order to secure a medical release. Upon medical release by the health care facility or health care provider, the sheriff, constable, or keeper of the jail must assume custody of the individual; provided, however, that in all cases the sheriff, constable, or keeper of the jail must assume custody where no health care facility is located in the county in which the arrest occurred and, in such instances, the governing authority of the arresting agency shall pay all costs related to the medical release.