Stop Cop City Movement Defendants Hannah Kass and Tyler Norman Demand Speedy Trial

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2026

Stop Cop City Movement Defendants Hannah Kass and Tyler Norman Demand Speedy Trial

Defendants refuse to become talking points in Attorney General Chris Carr’s failing gubernatorial campaign

COBB COUNTY, GA — On May 4, 2026, Attorney Amith Gupta filed in Cobb County Superior Court a formal demand for a statutory speedy trial in the case of Stop Cop City movement defendant Dr. Hannah Kass. Dr. Kass has asserted her right under Georgia law to have the state proceed without delay, just as Ayla King did so in the failed RICO prosecution in Fulton County. On May 5th, co-defendant Tyler Norman joined her in filing his formal demand. Arrested in 2022, the “Cobb 3,” Dr. Kass, Tyler Norman, and Katie Kloth, are slated to appear in an arraignment scheduled for June 15th at 9 am on allegations from four years ago. The trial is slated to begin on June 22nd.

The demand marks a significant step in Dr. Kass’ case and reflects a growing insistence from Stop Cop City defendants and supporters that prosecutors move forward in court rather than allow cases to linger for years. For defendants facing politically charged prosecutions, delays function as punishment in themselves, placing strain on people’s work, housing, families, organizing, and daily lives before any proceedings even take place.

“Dr. Kass and Tyler Norman are demanding what every defendant is owed: the right to confront the State’s case in a timely manner,” said Xavier T. de Janon, an attorney with the People’s Law Collective and co-counsel with Amith Gupta. “The State should not be allowed to prolong these prosecutions indefinitely while defendants live under the weight of unresolved charges, in multiple counties.”

The Stop Cop City movement has drawn national attention amid ongoing prosecutions of protesters, organizers, and supporters who opposed the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Supporters of the defendants have criticized the prosecutions as part of a broader effort to criminalize protest and chill dissent against a deeply unpopular City of Atlanta project, which was pushed forward by a constellation of multinational corporations deeply woven into the prison industrial complex of the United States. In 2023, the people of Atlanta expressed their widespread rejection of this project through the COP CITY VOTE public referendum. 

The State’s handling of related cases further raises questions about the political nature of these prosecutions. In Cobb County Superior Court, prosecutors entered a nolle prosequi, dismissing all charges against Joseph Turner and Julian Goldberg in the same case, even though the two were arrested at the same time and place as Dr. Kass. Both dismissals were signed by Judge Sonja Brown, who is also assigned to the new Cobb 3 indictment.

“It is striking that a former co-defendant and I were released from the same case that others are still being prosecuted for, on the same charges,” said Joseph Turner, a former co-defendant in the case. “The way these indictments have been selectively pursued by prosecutors underscores their political nature. The addition of allegations such as arson, without substantial proof, appears designed to inflame the rhetoric around an already highly ideological prosecution rather than to serve justice.”

The defendants’ demand for a statutory speedy trial puts the burden on the State to proceed promptly. “These bogus charges have been hanging over my head for years at this point, and I believe that’s intentional,” said Dr. Kass. “I am ready to call the State’s bluff.”

Supporters of the defendants say the demand underscores a simple principle: people accused by the State should not be left in legal limbo. With this new indictment, Attorney General Carr is relying on the process as the punishment to seemingly bolster his bid for Governor. The defendants refuse to become a talking point in his campaign.

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For more information on the sweeping criminal cases, and ways to support the defendants and the movement to Stop Cop City, go to: weelauneethefree.org and fireantmovementdefense.org.