logo
Fortner family demands accountability after son's murder inside Fulton County Jail

Fortner family demands accountability after son's murder inside Fulton County Jail

Yahoo08-04-2025

The Brief
The Fortner family is suing Fulton County, the sheriff, and the County Board of Commissioners, claiming their son died due to negligence after being stabbed over 20 times in jail.
The lawsuit highlights the failure to isolate Leonard Fortner, who was HIV-positive and part of the LGBTQ+ community, from the general population, leading to his murder.
The case is linked to broader issues of negligence at the Fulton County Jail, as outlined in a Department of Justice report, prompting calls for reform and accountability.
ATLANTA - A family is taking legal action after their son was stabbed more than 20 times inside the Fulton County Jail in 2024.
In a new lawsuit, the Fortner family claims their son, 37-year-old Leonard Fortner, died due to negligence inside the jail.
The backstory
The family is suing Fulton County, the sheriff, and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, and they said they hope this lawsuit will hold those responsible for the Fulton County Jail accountable for keeping those incarcerated safe.
The complaint claims the staff left their son, who was a member of the LGBTQ+ community and was HIV-positive, in the general population when he should've been isolated for medical reasons. However, Fortner was left in the general population from February 2024 until April 4, 2024, when he was killed.
The lawsuit, filed on the one-year anniversary of Fortner's murder, also claims the man who stabbed Fortner, Edward Cherry, used a piece of the jail's crumbling walls to kill Fortner. Cherry has since pleaded guilty in court and is serving a life sentence in prison.
What they're saying
"He did not have the protection. He did not have his civil rights honored," said Leonard's mother, Donna Fortner. "So, we're wanting reform and reform enough where it's going to save lives."
"He took part of the building, made the shank, and stabbed him over 20 times, stabbed him to death," said CK Hoffler, the family's attorney. "Being arrested and going to jail, to a county jail, should not equal a death sentence."
SEE ALSO:
Fulton County Jail deadly stabbing: Mother seeks justice, will file lawsuit
Fulton County sheriff, commissioner respond to deadly stabbing of inmate at jail
Man arrested for apartment fire on Joseph E Boone Boulevard identified
Dig deeper
Hoffler said what happened to Fortner is part of the negligence that was outlined in the November 2024 Department of Justice report on conditions and management of the Fulton County Jail.
"It was a level of hurt. It was a level of disappointment. It felt as though we were deprived of Leonard's longevity of life because of their neglect," said Donna Fortner.
That DOJ report was followed by a January consent decree demanding changes be made.
"When the federal government is saying, 'You need to do this or else,' which is what a consent decree is, 'you must do ABC or else,' and it's enforceable by the courts, that, to me, would lead to plenty of action under normal circumstances, but we've not seen that," said Hoffler.
"Where are the corrections? Where are you really working to make it better? It is your job. Do your job," said Fortner.
Local perspective
The Fortners say the county's inaction is why now is the right time for their lawsuit. As they wait for the county to enact federal demands, they hope their lawsuit will force real changes, so others inside the jail can serve their time safely.
"We will never be the winners because we won't have our son, but at least we can be the advocate for those who cannot speak out, for those who may not know who to contact, build a community. Build a village," said Fortner.
The Fortners said they are prepared for a lengthy legal battle ahead. "It's not about the money. It will never be about the money. Yes, it will be about human rights. Yes, it will be about making sure that they're doing what they're supposed to do. Yes, making sure that they're doing the changes. Reform it," said Fortner.
Hoffler said this case is a wake-up call for the community. "Don't sleep on what is happening in the Fulton County Jail. Stand in solidarity with this fight. This fight is not about the money. It's about change, because before you know it, it could be your child," said Hoffler.
The other side
FOX 5 reached out to the sheriff's office for comment, but a spokesperson said the office cannot speak on pending litigation.
LATEST ON FULTON COUNTY JAIL:
Chicken sandwiches, drugs, cellphones among Fulton County Jail contraband
Atlanta City Council committee delays resolution on relocating Fulton County inmates
18-year-old charged with stabbing Fulton County detention officer over a blanket
Inmate convicted for stabbing deputy multiple times at Fulton County Jail
Fulton County Jail reforms underway with DOJ-approved deal
The Source
FOX 5's Alexa Liacko to the family of Leonard Fortner for this article.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Appeals court to take up Trump's challenge to his criminal hush money conviction

timean hour ago

Appeals court to take up Trump's challenge to his criminal hush money conviction

Just over a year after Donald Trump became the first former president to be found guilty of a felony, an appeals court is set to hear the president's bid to move his case to federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has scheduled oral arguments Wednesday to consider whether to move the president's criminal hush money case from state to federal court. Trump was found guilty last year on 34 felony counts after Manhattan prosecutors alleged that he engaged in a "scheme" to boost his chances during the 2016 presidential election through a series of hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and then falsified New York business records to cover up that alleged criminal conduct. Trump's lawyers have argued that the conduct at issue during his criminal trial included "official acts" undertaken while he was president, giving the president broad immunity for his actions and the right to remove the case to federal court. They say that the Supreme Court's landmark ruling last year granting the president immunity for official acts -- which was decided after Trump was convicted in May -- would have prevented prosecutors from securing their conviction. "The fact that it was not until after the conclusion of his state criminal trial that the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision defining the contours of presidential immunity -- including a broad evidentiary immunity prohibiting prosecutors from inviting a jury to probe a President's official acts, as President Trump's removal notice alleges occurred here -- supplies good cause for post-trial removal," Department of Justice lawyers argued in an amicus brief filed with the court. Trump decried the prosecution as politically motivated and successfully delayed his sentencing multiple times before New York Judge Juan Merchan, on the eve of Trump's inauguration, sentenced the former president to an unconditional discharge -- the lightest possible punishment allowed under New York state law -- saying it was the "only lawful sentence" to prevent "encroaching upon the highest office in the land." "I did my job, and we did our job," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, said following Trump's conviction. "There are many voices out there, but the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken." Bragg has pushed back on Trump's attempt to remove the case from state court, arguing that a case cannot be moved to federal court after sentencing. "These arguments ignore statutory indicia that Congress intended for removal of criminal cases to happen before sentencing by anticipating that essential federal proceedings will take place prior to a final criminal judgment," prosecutors have argued. Trump's appeal will be heard by a panel of three federal judges, each of whom was nominated to the bench by Democratic presidents. With Trump's former defense attorneys now serving top roles at the Department of Justice, the president will now be represented by former Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall of the elite law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. In an usual step, lawyers with the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in support of Trump's request. "The United States has a strong and direct interest in the issues presented in this appeal," they argued. If the appeals court grants Trump's request, his conviction would still remain. The only change is that his appeal will play out in a federal, rather than state, courtroom. In either scenario, Trump could ultimately ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. Moving the case into federal court could also open up the possibility that Trump could potentially pardon himself.

Lansing gun violence advocates worried by funding cuts
Lansing gun violence advocates worried by funding cuts

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Lansing gun violence advocates worried by funding cuts

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — People working to curb gun crime in Lansing are concerned that federal funding cuts are threatening the progress they've made. Paul Elam, Chief Strategy Officer with Advance Peace, says the organization received notice back in April from the Department of Justice, saying that their grants would be terminated. During the height of the pandemic, city officials say gun violence in Lansing was at an all-time high. So, leaders teamed up with a non-profit public health initiative called MPHI, a local operator of the Advance Peace Strategy. They work closely with city and county officials to help bring gun crime down. Elam says that partnership and hard work helped a lot. 'We experienced a 52% reduction in fatal shootings and a 19% in non-fatal shootings,' said Elam. Now, leaders are worried about the progress they've made. Elam says he never expected the new administration to cut grants he says were already approved, funded, and supported by Congress. 'Two of our projects were cut. The total was just over a million dollars,' said Elum. 'Cuts would reduce our capacity in half to continue to identify individuals and engage them to advance public safety here in Lansing.' He says the federal government has funded 50% of their projects, and says they've raised about $10 million. Elum says their mission is effective, and gun violence advocate John Edmond agrees. 'With the amount of lives that were saved, plus the guns that were taken off of the street,' said Edmond. 'It is a result of the hard work that these gentlemen and women put into this program.' Emmond lost his daughter, Amaia, back in 2010 after she was shot and killed in a home invasion in downtown Lansing. 'She was seven years old,' said Edmond. 'She was on life support for 24 hours, and then we made a decision to donate her organs, and she saved five people's lives.' Elam says luckily, the organization has found short-term resources to keep their staff, but the damage is already done. 'History tells us, when you remove this type of resource from the community. It impacts our ability to advance public safety,' said Elam. Elam says to help support Advance Peace, they're hosting a fundraiser in Lansing, Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Man federally indicted after allegedly shooting police K9
Man federally indicted after allegedly shooting police K9

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Man federally indicted after allegedly shooting police K9

WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Waco man with one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, Darrin King allegedly fled from Waco Police officers on May 28, who were dispatched to a civil disturbance involving a firearm. A police K9 was deployed in pursuit of King, who allegedly produced a firearm and fired multiple shots at the dog, striking the K9 twice in the neck and once in the chest. The Department of Justice says King was subsequently taken into custody and the firearm was recovered. The firearm was allegedly equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), also known as a 'Glock switch,' allowing the firearm to fire as a fully automatic weapon. MCDs are defined as machineguns under the National Firearms Act, even when not installed. PREVIOUS STORY: Waco PD K-9 shot, recovering, man arrested The injured K9 survived his life-threatening injuries – but due to the extent of the injuries, will be medically retired. The DoJ says King faces up to ten years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waco Police Department are investigating the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store