Less than 2 miles up the road from where the Haitian national team stepped onto the field for its final match of the 2026 World Cup, hundreds of Haitian Americans gathered to cheer on their team. Before the game against Morocco even kicked off Wednesday, Haiti knew this would be their last game of the […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Legal Challenges Continue for Black Horseman in South Fulton
When Brandon Fulton bought the 27-acre property he plans to turn into a community ranch just outside Atlanta, he had no idea he’d end up spending as much time in a courtroom as he would developing his land. In the 10 years he has owned the property, Fulton has been in court dozens of times […]
Posted inCulture, LGBTQ
How One Nigerian Activist Is Building Community for Black LGBTQ+ Immigrants
As a gay kid growing up in southeastern Nigeria, Uchechukwu Onwa was aware living in his queer identity made him a target for violence. Instead of hiding his truth, he has been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community since his teenage years and continues that work after immigrating to the United States in 2017. Onwa, […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
Georgia Republicans Back Away From Redistricting Plan After Outcry
Efforts to begin redrawing Georgia’s voting district maps through a special session of the General Assembly have been canceled. The Republicans’ plan, which many feared would disenfranchise Black and brown voters, had already sparked multiple protests Wednesday at the Georgia State Capitol. “Changes to Georgia’s maps should take place only when members of the General […]
Posted inCity Politics, Criminal Justice, Incarceration
She Avoided Jail and Rebuilt Her Life, but Others May Not Get the Same Chance
Tanesha Door said she doesn’t know where she would be today without the Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative and its case managers helping her to get her life back on track. Door, an Atlanta-native and Grady Hospital baby, moved back to Atlanta in 2018 with her infant son less than a year after leaving the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics
Black Georgia Voters Could Lose Districts They Fought Decades For
For the first time in decades, Black Georgia voters won’t be able to rely on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to protect them from redistricting efforts to dilute their political power. On June 17, Republicans could start redrawing voting maps at a special session called by Gov. Brian Kemp. In April, the U.S. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Mental Health, Policing, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
After Beltline Killing, Atlanta’s Diversion Center Faces Scrutiny
Less than two weeks before Jahmare Brown was arrested in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Alyssa Paige on the Beltline Trail, he had been accused of waving a knife and threatening to kill a man in downtown Atlanta. According to records uncovered by WSB-TV, Brown, 21, was not arrested in connection with the alleged threats […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety, Transportation
After MARTA Stabbings, Trump Administration Opens Safety Probe
Atlanta’s public transportation authority is under investigation by the Trump administration a week after two separate stabbings within days of each other made headlines. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that he directed the Federal Transit Administration to launch an investigation into MARTA. Duffy cited the two “horrific crimes” that he said should disturb […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety, Sports
Ahead of World Cup, Fulton County Will Stop Jailing People Accused of Low-Level Crimes
With just over two weeks until Atlanta hosts its first FIFA World Cup match, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has announced a new policy that could drastically decrease the number of people incarcerated at the city jail. On Tuesday, Labat issued an official order that people arrested for most misdemeanor offenses can no longer be […]
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Politics & Policy
Atlanta Police Budget Set to Hit Record High Under New Plan
With a proposed $16.5 million budget increase, the Atlanta Police Department is on track to receive its largest general fund budget. State and local spending on police has been on the rise for decades across the country, and Atlanta is no different. Under the plan, the department would receive $324.4 million, up 5.37% from the […]