Georgia judge tosses landmark racketeering charges against ‘Cop City’ protesters

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge on Tuesday tossed racketeering charges against dozens of defendants accused of a yearslong conspiracy to halt the construction of a police and firefighter training facility that critics call “Cop City.”

Fulton County Judge Kevin Farmer said in the order that Republican Attorney General Chris Carr didn’t have the authority to secure the 2023 indictments under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Farmer said he needed permission from Gov. Brian Kemp.

Carr’s office said in a statement that they plan to appeal.

“We strongly disagree with this decision and will continue to vigorously pursue this domestic terrorism case to ensure that justice is served,” his office said.

The 61 defendants in what experts call the largest criminal racketeering case filed against protesters in U.S. history faced such allegations as throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and providing protesters with food. Each defendant faced up to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charges.

Five of them have also been indicted on charges ...