Latest news with #domesticterrorism
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Judge drops domestic terrorism charges against Atlanta ‘Cop City' protester
A judge has dismissed domestic terrorism charges against a defendant in connection with vandalism against construction equipment at the future site of the police training center near Atlanta, Georgia, colloquially known as Cop City, in what is seen as a win for protesters. DeKalb superior court judge Gregory Adams ruled on Thursday that defendant Jamie Marsicano's due process and constitutional rights to a speedy trial were violated by the state's ongoing delays and failure to issue an indictment two and a half years after arresting them at a nearby music festival. 'The judge acknowledged that the state was delaying on purpose, which is what the public suspected and activists have been saying,' said Xavier de Janon, Marsicano's attorney. 'It's the idea that the process is the punishment.' Opposition to the $109m center, which opened this spring, has come from a wide range of local and national organizations and protesters, and is centered on concerns around police militarization and clearing forests in an era of climate crisis. Atlanta police say the center is needed for 'world-class' training and to attract new officers. In the last three years, the state has leveled domestic terrorism charges against opponents of the training center in DeKalb as well as Rico conspiracy charges in neighboring Fulton county, using a statute that is usually reserved for organized crime. Marsicano faced charges in both places. In a hearing last week over the DeKalb delays, De Janon called the state's attempt to level charges in two counties based on the same alleged acts, 'trying to get two bites of the apple'. Marsicano is also likely to be one of the first of 61 defendants soon to be tried in the Rico case, the largest criminal corruption indictment ever brought against members of a protest or social movement. Meanwhile, in the last several years, Marsicano has graduated law school in North Carolina and passed the bar, only to have the state board of law examiners decline to issue a license to practice due to the unresolved charges. Judge Adams wrote that the 'personal and professional consequences that [Marsicano] has faced as a result of this indefinite charge … are forms of actual prejudice'. 'Domestic terrorism shows up on housing and job applications – it's a deep social and political stigma,' Marsicano said. Adams also wrote that Georgia's deputy attorney general, John Fowler, had been using the DeKalb charges 'to gain a tactical advantage' over Marsicano. De Janon noted that the state had continued to gather evidence on Marsicano despite the charges in both counties stemming from the same alleged acts, and the deadline for gathering discovery material in the Rico case having passed. In the DeKalb hearing last week, Fowler said for the first time that delays were due in part to there being 14 terabytes of evidence – the equivalent of more than 3m photos and an amount at least twice any previous number cited by the state. 'That means there's evidence we haven't seen,' De Janon told the Guardian. Thursday's decision is the second time charges have been dismissed during the three years the state has sought to punish dozens in connection to their opposition to the police training center. Last September, Fowler dropped money-laundering charges underlying 15 of the 18 counts included in the Rico, or racketeering, indictment, against members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail fund. De Janon also noted that judges in several hearings tied to Cop City 'have reprimanded the state' for conduct such as missing deadlines and sharing privileged attorney-client information. This, together with the dismissal of charges, 'shows the state's intense prosecution is starting to shatter'.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Judge drops domestic terrorism charges against Atlanta ‘Cop City' protester
A judge has dismissed domestic terrorism charges against a defendant in connection with vandalism against construction equipment at the future site of the police training center near Atlanta, Georgia, colloquially known as Cop City, in what is seen as a win for protesters. DeKalb superior court judge Gregory Adams ruled on Thursday that defendant Jamie Marsicano's due process and constitutional rights to a speedy trial were violated by the state's ongoing delays and failing to issue an indictment two and a half years after arresting them at a nearby music festival. 'The judge acknowledged that the state was delaying on purpose, which is what the public suspected and activists have been saying,' said Xavier de Janon, Marsicano's attorney. 'It's the idea that the process is the punishment.' Opposition to the $109m center, which opened this spring, has come from a wide range of local and national organizations and protesters, and is centered on concerns around police militarization and clearing forests in an era of climate crisis. Atlanta police say the center is needed for 'world-class' training and to attract new officers. In the last three years, the state has leveled domestic terrorism charges against opponents of the training center in DeKalb as well as Rico conspiracy charges in neighboring Fulton county, using a statute that is usually reserved for organized crime. Marsicano faced charges in both places. In a hearing last week over the DeKalb delays, de Janon called the state's attempt to level charges in two counties based on the same alleged acts, 'trying to get two bites of the apple'. Marsicano is also likely to be one of the first of 61 defendants soon to be tried in the Rico case, the largest criminal corruption indictment ever brought against members of a protest or social movement. Meanwhile, in the last several years, Marsicano has graduated law school in North Carolina and passed the bar, only to have the state board of law examiners decline to issue a license to practice due to the unresolved charges. Judge Adams wrote that the 'personal and professional consequences that [Marsicano] has faced as a result of this indefinite charge … are forms of actual prejudice'. 'Domestic terrorism shows up on housing and job applications – it's a deep social and political stigma,' Marsicano said. Adams also wrote that Georgia deputy attorney general John Fowler had been using the DeKalb charges 'to gain a tactical advantage' over Marsicano. De Janon noted that the state has continued to gather evidence on Marsicano despite the charges in both counties stemming from the same alleged acts, and the deadline for gathering discovery material in the Rico case having passed. In the DeKalb hearing last week, Fowler said for the first time that delays were due in part to there being 14 terabytes of evidence – the equivalent of more than 3m photos and an amount at least two times any previous number cited by the state. 'That means there's evidence we haven't seen,' de Janon told the Guardian. Thursday's decision is the second time charges have been dismissed during the three years the state has sought to punish dozens in connection to their opposition to the police training center. Last September, Fowler dropped money-laundering charges underlying 15 of the 18 counts included in the Rico, or racketeering, indictment, against members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a bail fund. De Janon also noted that judges in several hearings tied to Cop City 'have reprimanded the state' for conduct such as missing deadlines and sharing privileged attorney-client information. This, together with the dismissal of charges, 'shows the state's intense prosecution is starting to shatter'.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
FEMA blamed for holding up billions in grants to fight terrorism, officials claim
Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, meant to help prevent domestic terrorism and bolster security in local and state governments, is being withheld, officials claim. For the last two months, FEMA officials have been delayed in posting the latest application guidelines for its Homeland Security Grant Program, which consists of several individual grants. The application is expected to reflect President Donald Trump 's agenda. But the delay has left state, local, tribal, and territorial governments without assurance that they can obtain funding to bolster security and protect against domestic terrorism threats. That funding has helped pay for National Guard members to patrol subways in New York, license plate readers in New Jersey, and assist waste plants' cybersecurity infrastructure in Washington state, among other things, according to the New York Times. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, that the uncertainty left her 'deeply troubled.' '[Homeland Security Grant Program] provides states, local jurisdictions and their law enforcement, public safety, homeland security and emergency management officials with critical resources to further their preparedness and response capabilities,' Hochul said in her letter. Hochul said that without those resources, law enforcement is 'unable to access state-of-the-art training, the latest advancements in equipment and the ability to seamlessly share and analyze intelligence with each other.' The Independent has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA for comment. The program, which began after September 11, 2001, distributed approximately $1 billion in funding in the last fiscal year. The administration was supposed to release applications by mid-May. In June, a coalition of organizations representing local and state officials, emergency managers, and those who mitigate disasters also sent a letter to Noem urging her to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunities as soon as possible. 'The lack of timely NOFOs creates an inability to enhance response and recovery capabilities across the country and puts critical infrastructure at risk,' the coalition wrote. 'This comes during a time when nation-state actors, domestic and international extremists, and the hazards of our natural environment pose a tremendous and increasing threat,' it continued. The concerns over FEMA arrive as the agency faces cutbacks and stricter oversight that has made it more difficult for it to operate freely. Trump has said he wants to phase out FEMA eventually, making states reliant on themselves for emergency response. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS – which oversees FEMA, declined to tell the New York Times when the paperwork could be published but that Noem has, 'directed DHS to implement additional controls to ensure that all garnet money going out is consistent with law and does not go to fraud, waste or abuse, as in the past.'
CBS News
01-07-2025
- CBS News
Spectrum fiber network vandalism earlier this month is domestic terrorism, company says
Charter Communications is calling a June 15 attack on its communications network in Van Nuys an act of domestic terrorism, the company announced on Tuesday. The company said the determination was made based on the nature of the fiber cuts, the extent of damage, and the makeup of impacted customers. In all, more than 50,000 residential customers and more than 500 business customers were affected for up to 30 hours. "This is a pervasive and persistent threat to American families and businesses across the country that cannot be tolerated, and such life-threatening events should be declared acts of domestic terrorism and prosecuted accordingly," Chris Winfrey, President and CEO, of Charter Communications, said in a news release. Spectrum customers in Los Angeles and Ventura were affected on June 15 after the lines were cut early that morning in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. In all, 13 cables were severed, including more than 2,600 individual fibers. The communication company said the damage affected emergency services, including a military base, emergency dispatch, and 911 communication services for local fire and police departments, financial institutions, court buildings, healthcare facilities and hospitals, educational institutions, as well as cell towers providing mobile services. At the time of the June 15 incident, Spectrum said telecommunications lines have been a target for vandalism because of the precious metals some companies use. Spectrum fiber optic lines do not contain any copper, according to the company. "This requires immediate attention from federal and state legislation classifying these attacks as a felony, dedicated engagement from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and swift, aggressive prosecution of those criminals causing the perilous situation that results from these outages," Charter Communications wrote in a news release. As part of a more widespread problem across the nation, Charter said that between June through December 2024, the industry suffered nearly 6,000 intentional critical communications infrastructure attacks. Spectrum is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information related to these criminal infrastructure attacks that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information can call Spectrum at (833) 404-8477 or reach out to local law enforcement.
Wall Street Journal
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Trump's Iran Attack Spurs Concerns of Retaliation in the U.S.
WASHINGTON—Federal law-enforcement officials are on high alert for domestic retaliation in response to the U.S. bombing in Iran, warning of potential Tehran-backed plots and cyberattacks. Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia were told Monday that they should shift resources toward Iran and domestic threats, after manpower in recent months had been focused on the Trump administration's priority of immigration enforcement, a person familiar with the matter said.
