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Unicorn Riot @unicornriot.bsky.social · 28d

#StopCopCity RICO Prosecution Motions Hearings Day 3 - Sept. 10, 2025:

Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Motion 22 is being heard, defense attorney Stanley Cohen for defendant Carroll is arguing against the use of Georgia state-level Domestic Terrorism charges

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Reposted by Unicorn Riot Live

Unicorn Riot @unicornriot.bsky.social · 28d

#StopCopCity RICO Prosecution Motions Hearings Day 2 - Sept. 9, 2025:

Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · Sep 9

"[Georgia] Attorney General has limited ability to prosecute cases... the RICO statute does not grant the GA AG concurrent jurisdiction..." - a defense attorney addresses Judge Farmer about the issues in interpreting language that says GA AG can only take a case "when dealing with or for the state"

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Unicorn Riot @unicornriot.bsky.social · 29d

Get finer grain details from the proceedings by reading our court reporting 'livetweet' threads on @unicornriotlive on bsky:

#StopCopCity RICO Prosecution Motions Hearings Day 1 - Sept. 8, 2025:

Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · Sep 8

A defense attorney for #StopCopCity RICO case points out that the indictment says alleged criminal enterprise began in 2020 - well before the 'Cop City' urban warfare training center was proposed or opposed.

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Reposted by Unicorn Riot Live

Unicorn Riot @unicornriot.bsky.social · 29d

Judge Farmer just wrapped up the motions hearings in the troubled #StopCopCity prosecution brought by the Georgia AG office. Counts 1 (RICO) and 3 (Arson) are basically guaranteed to be dismissed based on his findings re: jurisdiction, and he may also dismiss Count 2 (Domestic Terrorism).

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

The defense asks the judge if he'd like to discuss discovery. Judge Farmer says no.

Court is dismissed.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Fowler asks if Judge Farmer will issue a certificate of immediate review on this issue, as he intends to do with the dismissal of the indictment. Farmer says yes. Fowler asks if they can be separate certificates. Farmer says yes.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Defense attorneys say they don't need to argue additional motions.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Fowler says Sidney's argument is similar to what Cohen argued earlier, so he says he doesn't have an additional argument here.

Judge Farmer tells attorneys that he won't issue a bench ruling today.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Judge Farmer says he won’t be ruling from the bench today and will be “taking this under advisement”

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

That concludes Sidney's argument.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Sidney says Fowler’s definition of “major” as “big, important” doesn’t pass the vagueness standard

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Sidney discusses a federal case that set a precedent that when "Congress passes a vague law, the role of the Court is not to fashion a new law to take its place, but to invite Congress to 'try again.'"

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Judge Farmer calls for a brief recess, giving you a moment to become an ACPC monthly donor to support our continued coverage of the Cop City RICO hearings and any future domestic terrorism hearings.

atlpresscollective.com/support-us

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

“I’m so confused.” - Georgia Assistant Attorney General Hallie Dixon on hot mic as break starts

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

We’re now on a 10 min break after which Judge Farmer hear another emotion from #StopCopCity defense.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

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Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

That concludes Cohen's argument.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Farmer asks Cohen if his argument is that domestic terrorism is properly applied here, but not properly written. Cohen affirms.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Farmer is now clarifying which alleged acts of domestic terrorism were used as "overt acts" in the racketeering element of the indictment. He says two separate domestic terrorism acts are alleged, but they may not be similarly situated. One he says was spelled out with specificity, the other was not

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Cohen says the prosecution “weave[s] into their charging documents” various protected speech acts like “promote ” “spread” “recruit” “delegitimize”

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Farmer says the "double intent" concept is important here. You can attempt to coerce or sway the government, but when you commit a crime to do so, that is the problem.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Cohen says terms like “intimidate” and “coerce” under the Georgia Domestic Terrorism statue could include First Amendment activities like protesting, using free speech and lobbying elected officials and that it’s “up to the police to decide” what is and isn’t a crime under this law

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

Cohen is returning to the state's argument regarding vagueness and overbreadth of the domestic terrorism statute. Cohen says there is no narrow definition, for instance, of what is means to disable something. "What is critical? What is intimidating? What is effective?" Cohen asks

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Defense attorney Stanley Cohen tells Judge Farmer that terms in the Georgia Domestic Terrorism law like “disable” “critical” “affect” are not properly defined and leave too much open to debate, give “too much discretion to law enforcement”

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

The judge and attorneys are now looking at the Georgia legislature's website for the official record of the domestic terrorism bill's process.

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Unicorn Riot Live @unicornriotlive.bsky.social · 29d

Atlanta Community Press Collective @atlpresscollective.com · 29d

"I'm not seeing that, as of yet," Farmer tells Cohen.

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