Wednesday Hearing in RICO Case Against 61 Stop Cop City Activists to Address Status of State’s Evidence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2025

Wednesday Hearing in RICO Case Against 61 Stop Cop City Activists to Address Status of State’s Evidence Nearly Two Years After Indictment

Defense Lawyers Accuse Attorney General of Acting in Bad Faith; Supporters to Hold Rally Outside of Georgia Superior Court in Advance of Hearing on Wednesday at 1pm

ATLANTA, GA —A hearing will take place Wednesday, May 28, at 1:30pm on whether the Georgia Attorney General (AG) can submit additional evidence in the racketeering case against 61 Stop Cop City activists. It’s been more than a year after the Georgia Superior Court prohibited any more discovery from being admitted. Supporters of the defendants will hold a rally in front of the courthouse at 1pm, which media are welcome to attend.

What: Discovery hearing and support rally for RICO defendants
When: Wednesday, May 28 – Rally at 1pm / Hearing at 1:30pm
Where: Georgia Superior Court, 185 Central Ave SW, Courtroom 4D

More than 20 months after the AG filed an indictment against the 61 RICO defendants, and after a change in the presiding judge, the case is finally showing signs of momentum. At a status hearing on May 14, the new presiding judge, Kevin Farmer, ordered all pretrial motions to be filed by May 30. Then, without warning, last week, Judge Farmer scheduled a May 28 hearing to decide whether the State could enter any additional evidence.
 
At the status hearing, Deputy AG John Fowler tried to turn over an additional 57 gigabytes of evidence, despite a Dec. 31, 2023, order by the former presiding judge, Kimberly Adams, prohibiting any additional evidence from being entered in the case.
 
In anticipation of tomorrow’s hearing, some defense counsel have filed motions to exclude any additional discovery. A motion filed today by RICO defendant Jamie Marsicano—the third motion to exclude late discovery since Judge Adams’s December 2023 deadline—states that the AG has “acted in bad faith in its handling of discovery.”

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