Arraignment set for 'Cop City' protesters charged with racketeering

September 27th, 2023

The 61 people charged with racketeering over efforts to stop the construction of Atlanta’s planned public safety training center, dubbed “Cop City” by opponents, are expected to be arraigned in November.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams is overseeing the case.

The arraignment is set for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, which is when defendants will formally hear the charges against them and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Republican Attorney General Chris Carr handed down the indictment on Aug. 29, alleging the defendants are “militant anarchists” who supported a violent movement that prosecutors trace to the 2020 racial justice protests.

Critics say that was before the so-called “Stop Cop City” movement even started.

Some of the activists charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – or RICO – are already facing additional charges, such as arson and money laundering.

Several others are also charged with domestic terrorism related to protests in downtown Atlanta and at the site of the proposed police and firefighter training center. Most are from out of state.

If convicted, they could face five to 20 years in prison, a fine or both.

It is unclear when the defendants will need to surrender themselves to authorities at the Fulton County Jail.