Latest news with #KevinFarmer
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2 advocacy groups sue feds over Atlanta training center records
Two civil liberties groups have teamed up in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI over records related to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Defending Rights & Dissent and Project South said in their lawsuit that the government failed to provide records on surveillance and investigations of protesters in connection with the site. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The organizations said they have sought these records since February 2023. 'More than two years later, DHS has failed to respond entirely, while the FBI has repeatedly stonewalled and slow-walked the release of these documents in the public interest,' the lawsuit stated. The groups said that people protesting the facility 'have been branded as terrorists or extremists for opposing 'Cop City.' All too often we know federal agencies like the FBI or DHS play a role in facilitating these crackdowns.' The DHS and FBI have 60 days to respond to the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed on May 9, the lawsuit said. RELATED STORIES: Defense attorneys say they were blindsided by new evidence in 'Stop Cop City' RICO case Defendants in Georgia 'Cop City' case say they are in limbo as trial delays continue Leaders behind building Atlanta Public Safety Training Center 'surprised' by community pushback Sixty-one defendants were indicted on state racketeering charges in 2023 in connection with the protests and the violence surrounding them. Fulton County Judge Kevin Farmer has severed the cases and will try them five at a time, with trials expected to start as soon as this month. Protests escalated at the site after the 2023 shooting death of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, known as Tortuguita. Paez Terán was camping near the site when authorities launched a clearing operation. Officials said they killed the 26-year-old after the activist shot and wounded a trooper from inside a tent. A family-commissioned autopsy concluded they were killed with their hands in the air, but a prosecutor found the officers' use of force was 'objectively reasonable.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Axios
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
RICO case against "Stop Cop City" activists back in court
The sweeping racketeering case against activists opposed to Atlanta's public safety training center returns to the courtroom after months of slow-moving progress. Driving the news: At 9:30am, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer will conduct his first hearing in the trial of defendants accused of violating Georgia's RICO Act, among other charges. Activists are urging supporters to attend a rally outside the courthouse during and after the hearing to "show the state, the judge, and the ATL61 that there are eyes on this case and we support them." Catch up quick: In September 2023, a Fulton grand jury indicted 61 people on various charges, including domestic terrorism, vandalism and racketeering. One year later, the state dropped money laundering charges against three residents who operate the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a charity that pays bail and provides legal defense to protesters. Zoom in: Supporters of the ATL61 argue the state's case was designed to halt the movement and muzzle supporters who wanted Atlanta to cancel work on the 85-acre, $118 million police and firefighting academy. Context: Experts believe the trial is the largest racketeering case against protestors in U.S. history, the Associated Press reports. Defendants were supposed to go to trial last year but the case dragged on due to procedural questions and logistical complexities. This delay has also put the defendants' lives in limbo, according to the AP.
