A Georgia judge has thrown out significant racketeering charges against dozens of activists accused of conspiring to stop the construction of a controversial police training facility known as "Cop City".
Judge Rules Attorney General Overstepped Authority
In a major ruling on Tuesday, Fulton County Judge Kevin Farmer dismissed the racketeering indictments secured in 2023 by Republican Attorney General Chris Carr. The judge determined that Carr did not have the legal authority to bring the charges under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law without first obtaining permission from Governor Brian Kemp.
The Attorney General's office immediately announced its intention to appeal the decision, stating it "strongly disagree[s]" and will continue to "vigorously pursue this domestic terrorism case".
The Scope of the Controversial Case
The case involved 61 defendants in what legal experts described as the largest criminal racketeering case ever filed against protesters in United States history. The charges stemmed from a years-long campaign against the construction of an 85-acre police and firefighter training centre in Atlanta, officially named the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Defendants faced allegations ranging from serious acts like throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers to more mundane activities such as providing food to protesters. Each racketeering charge carried a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Five of the defendants also face separate indictments for domestic terrorism and first-degree arson related to a 2023 incident where masked activists burned a police car in downtown Atlanta and threw rocks at a skyscraper housing the Atlanta Police Foundation. Judge Farmer indicated the domestic terrorism charges would likely stand, though he questioned the authority to pursue the arson charge.
Legal and Political Repercussions
Amanda Clark Palmer, an attorney for one of the protesters, praised the judge's ruling, stating "the prosecution did not follow the law when filing these charges." She expressed relief at the dismissal but noted it was incomplete pending a potential appeal.
The case has been deeply politicised. Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running for governor, pursued the indictments. Governor Brian Kemp had previously hailed the case as a crucial step to combat "out-of-state radicals that threaten the safety of our citizens and law enforcement." Critics, however, labelled it a politically motivated overreach designed to crush opposition to the $115 million project.
The controversy intensified in January 2023 after state troopers killed a 26-year-old activist known as "Tortuguita" during a sweep of the South River Forest area. While a prosecutor found the troopers' actions "objectively reasonable," the activist's family filed a lawsuit claiming excessive force was used. This event sparked further protests, which sometimes turned destructive as vandals targeted police vehicles and construction equipment.
Opponents of "Cop City" have also employed civic strategies, including packing city council meetings and organising a large-scale referendum effort that became entangled in legal challenges.
