Latest news with #FultonCountyBoardofCommissioners
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Family of inmate stabbed to death inside Fulton County jail files wrongful death lawsuit
The family of a Fulton County inmate who was stabbed to death last year has filed a lawsuit. Inmate Edward Cherry stabbed fellow inmate Leonard Fortner to death with a shank inside the jail last April. The lawsuit accuses Fulton County officials of ignoring the conditions inside the jail, which they say led to his death. 'Enough with the talk. The talk is cheap. We want to see action,' attorney CK Hoffler said. Attorneys, along with Fortner's family, said they're taking their fight for justice to the next level. 'When someone's civil rights are violated, there is something that can be done by law,' Leonard Fortner's mother, Donna Fortner, said. Leonard Fortner was booked at the Fulton County Jail last year on a minor, non-violent charge. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'We know that the jail had a duty to protect its residents. The inmates who are there,' Hoffler said. Fulton County Sheriff Pat LaBat and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners are named in the lawsuit. Channel 2's Audrey Washington reached out to the sheriff, but his office did not want to comment on a pending lawsuit. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts said the board is responsible for the jail itself, not the management of it. 'We have allocated up to 300 million dollars to improve the conditions at the jail,' Pitts said. Attorney Michael Harper represents the families of several people killed at the jail, including LaShawn Thompson. 'The commissioners and Robb Pitts continue to blame the sheriff, and the sheriff continues to blame the commissioners,' Harper said. Harper filed a class action lawsuit against the Fulton County Jail. 'This has to stop,' Harper said. As for Fortner's father, Terry, he just wants some form of accountability. 'Have them be responsible for what happened to our son,' he said. In 2024, several inmates died inside the jail. TRENDING STORIES: Couple wants local bagpiper's family to know that everyone did all they could to save his life Popular beach vacation spot can 'no longer be a Spring Break town' Now-retired Clayton County teacher indicted on charges he molested child in his classroom [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fortner family demands accountability after son's murder inside Fulton County Jail
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.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fulton County Denies DA Fani Willis More Funding in 2025 Budget
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners opted against allocating a substantial monetary increase for the county district attorney's office when finalizing its 2025 fiscal year budget on Wednesday, perhaps bringing a monthslong standoff with DA Fani Willis into its next phase. The board allocated $39.3 million of its nearly $1 billion budget to the DA's office, a figure that Willis has insisted will not allow her staff to properly carry out its duties. The adopted budget also fails to provide additional funding requested by other justice and safety partners, like the magistrate courts and the solicitor general. Capital B Atlanta reported earlier this month that Willis sent a letter in response to a proposed budget to each of the county commissioners in December warning that she would pursue legal action against the board if her office's funding is not adequately increased. Willis and other officials fear that insufficient funding to justice departments could cause setbacks in preventing crime and violence; keeping courts operating efficiently; and managing the population at Fulton County Jail, the troubled facility that disproportionately houses Black detainees. 'Without adequate funding to properly serve the citizens of this County, we have to explore legal remedies which includes filing a lawsuit against the Board of Commissioners to seek a budget consistent with the number and nature of cases this office handles,' Willis wrote in her letter to the commissioners dated Dec. 11. 'Hear me clearly: if you enact the proposed budget: people will die.' The district attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment at press time. Five of the seven commissioners voted in favor of the budget proposed on Wednesday. The two holdouts — District 3 Commissioner Dana Barrett and District 5 Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. — both advocated for a larger budget that would've provided more funding to the county's justice and safety departments, including Willis' office. Spending on the county's justice departments has been at the forefront of budget talks due to last year's sunsetting of Project ORCA — a federally funded program that had been subsidizing their budgets since 2021 — and November's U.S. Department of Justice report on the inhumane conditions at Fulton County Jail. Project ORCA successfully resolved a massive case backlog in the Fulton County court system that was due in large part to COVID-19 pandemic-related court shutdowns. The program enabled justice and safety departments to hire 528 employees, including 133 in the district attorney's office. By October 2024, just before the project came to an end, the district attorney's office had retained 55 ORCA hires as full-time employees. While ORCA was always intended to be temporary, several heads of the county's justice departments have insisted that the supplemented budgets should become the baseline so that they can operate efficiently. 'By eliminating the ORCA grant, the county is jeopardizing the significant progress we've made in reducing violent crime, which ultimately puts the safety of our communities at risk,' Willis said in a statement sent to Capital B Atlanta in October. Like Willis, Cassandra Kirk, the county's chief magistrate court judge, has been requesting additional funding for months. She says she requires more support staff so her judges aren't bogged down with clerical work. Fulton County's nearly $989.8 million budget lays out spending for everything from the sheriff and the courts to senior citizen services and local libraries. This year's property tax, or millage, rate — the county's primary source of revenue — will not be set until the summer. The approved budget assumes no tax increase. Rob Pitts, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, told Capital B Atlanta in October that there would be financial constraints on the 2025 fiscal budget. 'The revenue which we will have to work with will be fixed,' said Pitts. 'All of the programs and projects will have to be funded with the available revenue.' Still, many departments will receive more funding than last year because though the tax rate remains unchanged, the county will see a revenue increase due to rising property values. Barrett suggested that the county allocate an additional $14.9 million to its justice and safety departments via a $13.9 million surplus. Instead, the commissioners voted to earmark the additional funds for Fulton County Jail operations and maintenance needs as laid out by the DOJ. 'I would like to recommend that we approve a budget that includes spending for the justice system proactively,' Barrett said before the vote, 'instead of reactively.' The post Fulton County Denies DA Fani Willis More Funding in 2025 Budget appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
