python geocoding (using Google Maps API service)

geocoding.py

def geocoding(address):
    from httplib2 import Http
    import simplejson

    url_prefix = 'http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false&address='
    (header, response) = Http().request(url_prefix + address)

    decoder = simplejson.JSONDecoder()
    dict_ = decoder.decode(response)

    try:
        location = dict_['results'][0]['geometry']['location']
    except IndexError:
        return None

    lat = location['lat']
    lng = location['lng']

    return (lat, lng)