It was a simple question. At a Grove Park Neighborhood Association meeting earlier this year, residents voiced their concerns about the turnover rate for the Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers in the area. Coupled with the concern that the APD has failed to provide the area with officers trained in community policing, other public safety issues […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
Young Thug, Gunna, and Understanding RICO in Georgia
Atlanta-based rappers Young Thug and Gunna were recently arrested along with 26 other defendants in a 56-count indictment. According to the indictment, each defendant was charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. Convictions can lead to up to 20 years in prison. Young Thug and Gunna’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
When Speech Isn’t Free: Young Thug and Gunna’s Racketeering Case Puts Lyrics on Trial
One of the few areas of the city relatively untouched by gentrification in recent years is Cleveland Avenue, a well-worn street in southeast Atlanta bustling with activity and homegrown culture where longtime residents gather to celebrate Cleveland Avenue Day. Lately, however, it’s more famously known as the area that shaped and informed much of rapper […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Is A Guilty Verdict Enough? Black Residents in Atlanta Aren’t So Sure.
Atlanta resident Gregory Sutton has spent the last 15 years going in and out of Georgia prisons, sleeping on hard mattresses and confined to a cell for 23 hours a day — and that’s exactly the experience he wants for the three white men who chased down and murdered Ahmaud Arbery. A jury found Travis […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Explainers, Policing
How to File a Complaint Against Law Enforcement
Following the deaths by police of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, the City of Atlanta sought ways to rebuild trust in local law enforcement. After establishing and consulting with a use of force advisory council, former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launched two initiatives to track interactions between police and citizens. Despite the city’s best efforts, for […]