"Fulton county superior court Judge Kevin Farmer announced his decision to dismiss charges against the case's 61 defendants during hearings this week on a handful of defense attorney motions. The hearings came after several years of delays in the case centered on Rico, a law created to go after the mafia and usually associated with organized crime, not protest movements."
"Farmer came back from a break and used only 18 words to stymie the state's prosecution, nearly three years after arrests: At this time I do not find the attorney general had the authority to bring this Rico case. The decision dismisses charges in 100 pages of the state's 109page indictment. It also covers one count of arson against five defendants, and the judge is expected to issue a separate ruling on domestic terrorism charges against the same five defendants."
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer dismissed most charges against 61 defendants in the Cop City matter, finding the attorney general lacked authority to bring the RICO prosecution. The case had faced years of delays and relied on RICO, a statute traditionally used against organized crime, to pursue protest-related conduct. The judge's ruling responded to a motion on behalf of Thomas Jurgens, a legal observer arrested at a March 5, 2023 music festival near the site. Farmer dismissed charges contained in 100 pages of the state's 109-page indictment. One arson count against five defendants remains under review, and a separate ruling on domestic terrorism charges is expected. The state has announced plans to appeal.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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