The news of Larry Hoover’s pardon by President Donald Trump on Wednesday cast a shadow over Atlanta’s own history with the Gangster Disciples. For the past few years, Atlanta’s top elected officials and law enforcement officers have engaged in concerted efforts to combat gang violence and recruitment throughout the city. Their fight may have taken […]
Fani Willis
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
After Fani Willis Drops YSL Murder Charge, Defendant Is Sentenced to 5 Years
One of three remaining YSL trial defendants was sentenced to five years in prison by a Fulton County Superior Court judge Wednesday afternoon. Damekion Garlington was originally facing life in prison if convicted on all charges — including murder and attempted murder — but he entered into an Alford plea with the district attorney’s office […]
Posted inCulture
Starting5: Adriana Smith’s Son, Fani Willis, Atlanta Carnival, and ‘Sinners’
Welcome to Starting5, your daily rundown of five ATL news items that should be on your radar or in your group chat. Our morning primer covering culture, politics, sports, and more, is your cheat sheet on what’s buzzing in the A. A Mother’s Wish: Family of Adriana Smith Wants to Preserve Pregnancy There’s a new […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
How Michelle Morrison Turned a Wrongful Conviction Into a Purposeful Life
Michelle Morrison heard the judge’s ruling: Life plus five years, for a murder she didn’t commit. But the Atlanta native says she never believed she’d spend the rest of her days behind bars. “I said, ‘I don’t have a life sentence,’” she remembers. “I never claimed the sentence.” Morrison did not fire the gun nor […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The Three Records That Fani Willis’ Office Withheld in Trump Case
Back in 2023, Fani Willis seemed unstoppable. The first-term Fulton County district attorney became a national name after announcing in August of that year her intent to succeed where many before her had failed: holding the then-former President Donald Trump accountable. Willis brought criminal racketeering charges against Trump, alleging that he attempted to alter the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics
Fulton County Denies DA Fani Willis More Funding in 2025 Budget
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners opted against allocating a substantial monetary increase for the county district attorney’s office when finalizing its 2025 fiscal year budget on Wednesday, perhaps bringing a monthslong standoff with DA Fani Willis into its next phase. The board allocated $39.3 million of its nearly $1 billion budget to the DA’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics, Politics & Policy
Fani Willis Threatens to Sue Fulton County Commissioners Over Budget
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis issued a seven-page letter to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners last month threatening to sue if her office is not sufficiently funded in 2025. Through an open records request, Capital B Atlanta obtained documents Willis’ office sent to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 11 in response to […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Revived Fani Willis Probe Is ‘a Complete Waste of Time,’ Democrats Say
Georgia Democrats were caught off guard Monday during the first day of legislative session when state Senate Republicans voted to reopen their investigation into alleged misdeeds committed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during her 2020 election interference case against Donald Trump. Sen. Harold Jones, D-Augusta, said day one of the General Assembly’s annual […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Young Thug Is Free, but the YSL Trial Rages On
Young Thug accepted a plea deal last month in what has become the longest criminal trial in Georgia history — but the YSL case is not yet done. Pre-trial hearings began this week for the four remaining defendants in a controversial case that has fascinated people locally and beyond due to its duration, various hiccups, and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Fani Willis Challenges Subpoena Over Trump Prosecution Misconduct Claims
A Fulton County judge is deciding whether District Attorney Fani Willis has to comply with a subpoena issued by a Georgia Senate subcommittee investigating her alleged misconduct during her prosecution of former President Donald Trump. The subpoena, issued in August, called on Willis to turn over dozens of documents related to the prosecution and to […]