For two years, during the height of the pandemic, Nikita Thomas sat in a Fulton County jail cell in Union City trying to stay hopeful that she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life in prison. “You tend to lose hope regardless of how much you pray,” Thomas told Capital B Atlanta. “You start to […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inCriminal Justice
17 Shots: Witness Describes Shooting of Atlanta Rapper by Off-Duty Police Officer
Linton Blackwell, a 44-year-old father and local rapper who was killed earlier this month by an off-duty Atlanta police officer, had approximately 17 gunshot wounds, according to the autopsy report created by a Fulton County medical examiner. The report documented two bullet wounds in the right upper back, one in the buttocks and 14 in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Family Questions Police Account of Fatal Buckhead Shooting by Off-Duty Officer
At a balloon release in DeKalb Memorial Park last week, dozens of friends and family members gathered to remember Linton Blackwell, a man they said would do anything for his family, especially his twin daughters. “He’s an angel gone too soon, but he will watch over us,” Faith Harper, his aunt, told Capital B Atlanta […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Atlanta’s ‘No Kings’ Protest Draws Thousands of Marchers
Atlanta’s No Kings rally drew thousands of residents on Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration’s agenda and perceived authoritarianism. One of dozens of protests held across the country, the crowd of an estimated 10,000 people first met at the Atlanta Civic Center, where they heard from speakers including Democrats Stacey Abrams and U.S. Sen. […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
After 22 Years Behind Bars, a Georgia Man’s Fight for a New Trial Isn’t Over
After spending over 20 years incarcerated for a crime he says he didn’t commit, Danyel Smith had hoped to celebrate his first Thanksgiving at home this November. However, despite a recent victory at the Supreme Court of Georgia, it is likely he will remain incarcerated for the rest of the year. “I jokingly told him […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
A Woman With Mental Disabilities Is on Life Support After Fulton Jail Attack
An Atlanta family is seeking answers after a brutal attack inside the Fulton County Jail left a 20-year-old woman on life support at Grady Hospital. Tyriana Ledbetter had been incarcerated in Fulton County since late May on multiple charges including armed robbery and aggravated assault. According to a statement from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
What Does Public Safety Look Like to You? A City Council Candidate Asks Atlantans.
Creating a climate where people feel safe in their communities can be one of the most difficult tasks an elected official takes on. Public safety is an umbrella term for a network of community, law enforcement and public health officials working together to create that sense of security. This election cycle, both candidates running for […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Incarceration
How The Bail Project Is Working to Get Low-Income People Out of Jail
In Fulton County, bail fund organizers are on the front lines in the fight to prevent the further expansion of pretrial detention in the face of federal and state intervention. The Bail Project, a national organization that currently works in 11 jurisdictions across the country, posts bail for 20 to 40 people in Fulton County […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
How To Find Out If Your Driver’s License Has Been Suspended in Atlanta
Hundreds of people in Atlanta and Fulton County are arrested for driving while their license is suspended or revoked every year. Despite a first offense being considered a misdemeanor, a conviction can lead to hundreds of dollars in fines and between two days and 12 months in jail. “As always and you see this historically, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Atlanta Lawyers Work to Get Unlawfully Deported Black Immigrants Returned to the U.S.
The Trump administration’s mass deportation plan continues to cause anxiety throughout Atlanta’s Black immigrant community — even among those who have legal status. “The fear is real,” said Nnamdi Ihenacho, founder of the Atlanta-based nonprofit African Immigrant Collective. “Even people who have their papers are still worried about, ‘can my citizenship be revoked?’ ‘Can my […]
