Lawmakers react to immigration sweeps; State of the Judiciary; 'Cop City' podcast

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary
Episode: Lawmakers react to immigration sweeps; State of the Judiciary; 'Cop City' podcast
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Host: Peter Biello

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1. Immigration-Related Arrests Spark Legislative Reactions

Overview:
Over the past weekend, federal authorities conducted targeted immigration sweeps in Georgia, leading to several arrests. This has elicited strong responses from state lawmakers, reflecting the ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement.

Key Points:

• Support for Law Enforcement:
  Republican Senator John Albers expressed confidence in federal actions, emphasizing the importance of law enforcement in maintaining legal integrity.
  “If someone is here and has broken the law, then we need to get them at whatever point makes sense. So I trust the work that our law enforcement is doing.”
  (01:05)

• Opposition to Enforcement Tactics:
  Democratic Senator Kim Jackson criticized the intrusion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into local communities, particularly targeting faith groups.
  “I am just deeply disturbed that ICE has come into our communities and particularly into our faith groups and taken people away from their loved ones.”
  (01:30)

• Legislative Developments:
  A bill has been introduced in the Senate requiring local law enforcement agencies to honor detention requests from Homeland Security, aiming to streamline immigration enforcement at the state level.
  (01:54)

2. Chief Justice Pushes for Judicial Security and Compensation

Overview:
Chief Justice Michael Boggs of Georgia's Supreme Court has called on state lawmakers to approve pay raises for judges and enhance security measures in courthouses, citing a rise in threats against judiciary members.

Key Points:

• Need for Pay Raises:
  Chief Justice Boggs highlighted the necessity of increasing judicial salaries to attract and retain qualified judges amidst growing security concerns.
  “We need pay raises to attract and retain qualified judges.”
  (02:18)

• Security Enhancements:
  The Chief Justice pointed to incidents like the Muscogee County Courthouse bomb threats as evidence of escalating dangers faced by the judiciary.
  “The safety of our state's 1600 judges, as well as our court personnel and the general public... has become a pronounced concern.”
  (02:18)

• Legislative Action:
  A previous bill aimed at protecting judges by concealing their personal information from the public has been signed into law, further bolstering security efforts.
  (02:38)

3. Controversial Death During Clearing of Unhoused Camp

Overview:
Atlanta authorities released a report on the death of Cornelius Taylor, an unhoused man who died while authorities were clearing a camp. The report has been met with criticism from Taylor's family.

Key Points:

• Official Report Findings:
  The report states that an officer saw Taylor waving in distress but suspected drug use and did not notice any injuries before he was crushed by construction equipment.
  (02:38)

• Family's Response:
  Attorney Mouli Davis condemned the report as misleading and accused authorities of attempting to misdirect public perception.
  “I think this was very calculated and it's, again, an attempt to misdirect people... they were just dead wrong.”
  (03:14)

• Community Reaction:
  Taylor’s family has invited the public to his funeral, signaling ongoing community concern and demand for accountability.
  (03:56)

4. New Podcast Explores 'Cop City' Protester Killing

Overview:
A new podcast titled “We Came to the Forest” delves into the death of Manuel Esteban Paez, also known as Tortuguita, who was killed during protests against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed "Cop City."

Key Points:

• Incident Breakdown:
  Host Matt Sher discusses the circumstances leading to Tortuguita’s death, questioning the legality and necessity of law enforcement actions during the protest.
  “If we looked at the shooting itself... the evidence strongly suggests that the GBI's account... is correct. However, it's a far more complicated story.”
  (05:01)

• Use of Force Concerns:
  The podcast highlights the use of pepper balls by troopers as a potential escalation that may have contributed to the fatal shooting.
  “These are fired at very close range into a tent... there are a few other factors here which are really important.”
  (07:04)

• Precedent for Activism:
  Vienna Forrest, an activist featured in the podcast, warns that the state's aggressive suppression of protests sets a dangerous precedent for future dissenters.
  “The precedent is that the state is going to determine how and where and when you are allowed to express your voice and express your resistance and your dissent to something.”
  (11:20)

5. Senators Condemn January 6th Pardons

Overview:
Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff joined 45 other senators in denouncing President Donald Trump's pardons of over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riot.

Key Points:

• Statements of Disapproval:
  Senator Warnock labeled the pardons as disrespectful to Capitol officers, while Senator Ossoff called them disgraceful.
  “These pardons are disrespectful to the officers who protected the Capitol.” – Senator Warnock
  (11:51)
  “Trump's pardons are disgraceful.” – Senator Ossoff
  (11:51)

• Legislative Action:
  The senators are moving to pass a resolution condemning the pardons through unanimous consent in the coming week.
  (11:51)

6. Supporting Caregivers Boosts Employer Productivity

Overview:
A report by the Milken Institute reveals that employers benefit financially by offering flexible work arrangements, paid leave, and support for employee caregivers.

Key Points:

• Economic Impact:
  The report indicates that adults balancing full-time work and caregiving responsibilities cost employers approximately $33 billion annually in lost productivity and employee retention.
  (12:33)

• Business Benefits:
  Diane Tai of the Milken Institute advocates for companies to invest in caregiving support as a strategy for enhancing productivity and retaining employees.
  “It's good business for companies to invest in caregiving support.”
  (13:01)

• Corporate Recognition:
  U.S. News and World Report collaborated with the Milken Institute to identify top companies that excel in supporting family caregivers.
  (13:16)

7. School Districts Opt-Out of Property Tax Cap

Overview:
Following the November vote by Georgians to limit property tax increases, over half of Georgia's 180 school districts are initiating the legal process to exempt themselves from these caps to avoid significant funding losses.

Key Points:

• Financial Implications:
  Superintendent Mark Albertus of Carrollton cited potential losses exceeding $4 million over six years if the cap had been enforced.
  (13:29)

• District Responses:
  Larger districts like Gwinnett County fear annual revenue decreases of up to $35 million, prompting their decision to opt out.
  (13:29)

• Taxation Options:
  While cities and counties have the option to increase sales taxes to compensate, school districts lack this power, making the cap more detrimental to their budgets.
  (13:29)

8. High-Profile Legal Trial and Sports News

Overview:
The episode also covers significant local legal proceedings and updates from the sports world.

Key Points:

• Jackie Johnson Trial:
  Former prosecutor Jackie Johnson faces charges for interfering with the investigation of Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting. Jurors were selected amidst delays caused by a winter storm, with the trial expected to last over two weeks. Johnson denies all allegations.
  (13:29)

• Braves’ Pitcher Departure:
  Jesse Chavez, a veteran pitcher and World Series champion with the Braves, has signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, marking another loss for the team’s bullpen.
  (15:18)

• Home Depot’s Soccer Sponsorship:
  Home Depot announced a multi-year sponsorship with U.S. Soccer, supporting the new National Training Center in Fayette County. The facility, funded by a $50 million donation from Arthur Blank, is set to open ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
  “It'll be a world-class facility that will set the new standard...” – David Wright, U.S. Soccer
  (16:00)

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Looking Ahead

Tomorrow’s episode will delve deeper into the immigrant community’s reactions to recent ICE raids. Contributors with firsthand knowledge are encouraged to share their experiences via email at georgiatodaypb.org.

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For more detailed reports and updates, visit GPB News.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia TODAY podcast from GPB News. Today is Tuesday, January 28th. I'm Peter Biello. On this program, you'll hear the latest reports from the GPB news team. You can send feedback or story tips to georgia todaypb.org on today's episode, Georgia's U.S. senators condemn President Trump's January 6th pardons. The chief justice of Georgia's Supreme Court asks for better security for judges. And a new podcast argues the treatment of the protesters opposed to the Atlanta Public Safety Training center sets a dangerous precedent.

[Matt Sher]

To me, the precedent is that the state is going to determine how and where and when you are allowed to express your voice and express your resistance and your dissent to something.

[Peter Biello]

These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia. Today. Georgia lawmakers are reacting to several immigration related arrests made by federal authorities in the state over the weekend. GPB's Sarah Kalis reports.

[Sarah Kalis]

After federal agencies carried out targeted operations in Georgia, Republican Senator John Albers says he believes law enforcement will make the right decisions and if someone is here.

[Peter Biello]

And broken the law, then we need to get them at whatever point makes sense. So I trust the work that our law enforcement is doing.

[Sarah Kalis]

Senator Kim Jackson, a Democrat who is also a pastor, referenced an arrest outside a church in Tucker. She says she opposes race, especially in churches.

[Peter Biello]

I am just deeply disturbed that ICE has come into our communities and particularly into our faith group and taken people away from their loved ones.

[Sarah Kalis]

One immigration enforcement related bill has already dropped in the Senate that requires local law enforcement agencies to honor detention requests from Homeland Security. For GPB News, Sarah, I'm Sarah Kalis at the state Capitol.

[Peter Biello]

The chief justice of Georgia's Supreme Court is asking state lawmakers to approve judicial pay raises and security upgrades in Georgia courthouses. Chief Justice Michael Boggs used his annual State of the Judiciary address today to push pay raises to attract and retain qualified judges. He said the security upgrades were needed because of what he called a quote, precipitous increase in in threats against judges, clerks and court staff.

[Michael Boggs]

Just last month, bomb threats forced the closure of the Muscogee County Courthouse. Now more than ever, the safety of our state's 1600 judges, as well as our court personnel and the general public who still enter our hallways and courtrooms each day has become a pronounced concern.

[Peter Biello]

A bill signed into law last year sought to improve security for judges by shielding their personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers from the public. Atlanta police have released new details about the death of an unhoused man who died after he was crushed under construction equipment during the clearing of a camp where he was living. The report released late yesterday says an officer at the scene noticed the man, Cornelius Taylor, waving in distress. But it says the officer suspected him of using drugs and did not see any obvious signs of hurt. Representing Taylor's family, attorney Mouli Davis calls the report, quote, shocking.

[Mouli Davis]

I think that this was very calculated and it's, again, an attempt to misdirect people. And I really believe that when this was initiated, they had no idea that so many eyes would be on what happened down there, that so many people would have gone down and inspected the space themselves and saw the blood for themselves and interviewed people themselves. I think they really thought that this would just be a flash in the pan and that they would be able to put that in a report and that Cornelius Taylor had no one that loved him enough to fight for him, and they were just dead wrong.

[Vienna Forrest]

Mowoolley says the Taylor family is inviting.

[Peter Biello]

The public to his funeral next week on Monday. Two years ago this month, a protester was killed while opposing the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training center, known as Cop City. Manuel Esteban Paez, Tehran, also known as Tortuguita, was shot by Georgia state troopers after first firing from inside a tent. What followed were protests and a renewed effort to stop the construction of the training facility. A new podcast examines Tortuguita's killing through a wider lens, the power imbalance between those who want to legally protest and the law enforcement and government agencies determined to build a training center. It's called We Came to the Forest. Host and journalist Matt Sher is with me now. Welcome to the program.

[Matt Sher]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Vienna Forrest]

So this podcast covers a lot of familiar ground for those who've been following the story. But what's new? You're alleging here is the evidence that could influence the ongoing lawsuit that Tortuguita's parents filed. They're claiming excessive force, among other things. What new evidence did you find about what law enforcement did that day that was excessive?

[Matt Sher]

So listeners who have followed this story at all will probably know the basics. And you got at some of this in your introduction. In January, January, two years ago, police launched this massive raid on a forest southeast of Atlanta proper, where they were kind of like the remnants of a much larger camp that had been raided previously by police. In the previous raids, a bunch of people had been arrested, a bunch of activists, and they'd been charged with domestic terrorism. Later, those charges were put under a superseding RICO indictment. This raid was much bigger, in a sense, and the police came in, and their narrative for a long time was that they came to a tent in which Torte was lying down, and they interacted with Tort and asked them to leave and exit the tent, and that Tort fired back through the tent and that the troopers responded with fire of their own. On the most basic level, the files that we've reviewed that were leaked to us show that this part, at least, is broadly accurate. It. However, it's a far more complicated story than the GBI report initially suggested.

[Vienna Forrest]

So you found ultimately that while Tortaguita did fire the first shot, that's not really in dispute anymore, at least on the official record and in your podcast. That's not in dispute. What might be in dispute, however, is whether or not the officers should have fired the pepper bullets first into Torteguita's tent, which may have scared them and prompted them to think they were being fired upon, in which case they may have thought they were acting in self defense. That's one theory in your podcast, which may change the outcome, in your view of the lawsuit that Tortuguita's parents have filed.

[Peter Biello]

Yes.

[Vienna Forrest]

Am I summarizing that correctly?

[Matt Sher]

You're summarizing it exactly correctly. If we viewed it in a. If we looked at the shooting itself, the exchange of lethal gunfire in a little encapsulated vacuum, and we said what actually happened, the evidence strongly suggests that the GBI's account of the order of shooting, the order of exchange of fire, is correct. However, when we set out to find this information, one question that we bumped up against is, okay, if this is what the GBI alleges happened in this forest, why are they so reticent to give us these files? And I think now, having reviewed them really carefully, I understand why. But part of it is what you're saying here with the pepper balls. So on the one hand, you've got that. You've got just the fact that these are fired at very close range into a tent. But there are a few other factors here which are really important. One is the length of time that elapses between when troopers first make contact with Tort and when they disperse the pepper balls.

[Vienna Forrest]

That was three minutes.

[Matt Sher]

Three minutes. Now, we know that there's some sort of interaction between Tort and the troopers. In the depositions which we obtained, the troopers come back and. And they recall Torte said, I'm not coming out of the tent. I refuse to come out of the tent. They very quickly escalated to pepperball usage, which was, again, not included as an option. In the planning document, which doesn't mean you can't use it. I mean, there are all sorts of tactics available to you. However, this is a marked escalation in the sort of terms of negotiation. It's going from talking within just a matter of seconds, really, to firing these pepper balls into the tent. Now, we interviewed a use of force expert in the show, and I've since spoken to other people in law enforcement. There were other ways this could have gone. It's as simple as that.

[Vienna Forrest]

By the time of their killing, Torte had loved ones who had been charged with domestic terrorism just for allegedly being on that part of the public land. Vienna Forrest, who still faces terrorism charges, is a focus of this podcast. Normally, when people have ongoing trials, they're reluctant to speak to the press, but Vienna spoke to you quite a bit. How did you connect with Vienna?

[Matt Sher]

I met Vienna through attending the various criminal proceedings. I met her outside of the court and introduced myself. She had, at that point, spoken to some press in a limited fashion. And, you know, I wondered the same thing when I. When we first started talking. And, you know, Vienna is a thoughtful, careful person. She was always careful to speak within the scope of what she felt comfortable with. And, you know, one thing that she was always super careful about is not talking about other people's experiences. She wanted to talk about her own. And, you know, she has a pretty clear reason to do that in her mind. And I'll tell you right now, I don't agree with her fully about everything, but I agree with her to a fair extent on this particular topic that she was subject to state forces that were going to shut down every means and mode of dissent and protest available to the protesters in whatever way they could, whether through militarized raids, whether through these unprecedented RICO indictments and domestic terrorism charges, whether through more prosaic stuff like delaying the. The referendum vote for Cop City itself and finding out ways to sort of press it down. You know, I've never seen a situation like this before where a city and a state seems to have said, we are going to get this done. This. This is going to get done. This training facility is going to get built, and whatever dissent we encounter is going to be steamrolled. And the tragic part is that that was largely successful, wasn't it? You know, this training facility is completed, and classes are going to start there soon. The movement to stop Cop City, as it's called, is still there. But what Vienna worries about and why she wanted to talk to us is she worries about the precedent that this sets all over the country for activists of any kind.

[Vienna Forrest]

What would you say the precedent is?

[Matt Sher]

To me, the precedent is this, that, that the state is going to determine how and where and when you are allowed to express your voice and express your resistance and your descent to something.

[Vienna Forrest]

Matt Sher is an at large reporter for the New York Times and co founder of Campside Media. He hosts We Came to the Forest new podcast about the Atlanta Public Safety Training center, known to opponents as Cop City. Learn more about it at gpb.org matt thank you very much.

[Matt Sher]

Thanks so much for having me.

[Peter Biello]

Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff joined 45 other senators in condemning President Trump's pardons of more than 1500 January 6th Capitol rioters. Senator Warnock called the pardons disrespectful to officers who protected the Capitol. Senator Ossoff called Trump's pardons disgraceful. The senators will seek unanimous consent to pass the resolution this week.

[Diane Tai]

We could all use a little help navigating the news these days. The Consider this podcast wants to give you a hand. Six days a week will help you make sense of the day's biggest news story and what it means for you in less than 15 minutes. Listen now to the Consider this podcast from NPR.

[Peter Biello]

A new report by the Milliken Institute shows employers benefit by offering flexible work arrangements, paid leave and financial support to employee caregivers. GPB's Ellen Eldredge has more More and.

[Ellen Eldredge]

More adults are juggling full time work and caregiving responsibilities and it's costing employers about 33 billion a year in lost productivity and employee retention. Diane Tai with the Milken Institute co authored the report. She says it's good business for companies to invest in caregiving support.

[Mouli Davis]

I think really creating a culture of openness so that people do feel safe, so that they're, you know, able to feel like when they do explain what's happening. The employer is as empathetic.

[Ellen Eldredge]

Ty worked with U.S. news and World Report on its inaugural list of best companies when it comes to supporting family caregivers. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldredge.

[Peter Biello]

Georgians voted in November to limit how much of a home's increasing value can be taxed, but many school districts across the state are opting out of the cap. A survey by the Georgia School Superintendents association finds at least half of Georgia's 180 school districts have started the legal process to get out from under the law's limits. That's because some school districts stand to lose funding if the cap is enacted the district in west Georgia's Carrollton was the first to opt out. Mark Albertus is the superintendent there. He says the city school system would have lost more than $4 million in tax revenue over the previous six years if this law had been in effect. Officials in Gwinnett County, Georgia's largest school district, estimate the cap could decrease tax revenue by $35 million a year. While some cities and counties are considering whether to opt out, school districts appear much more likely to exempt themselves. That's in part because schools only raise revenue from property taxes and state and federal aid, while cities and counties have other options. The law also gave cities and counties the ability to increase sales tax by a penny on every dollar of sales to replace property taxes, but but did not give school districts that power. However, some taxpayers like the idea of a cap, and they cite their own high property tax bills. A Georgia judge seated a jury today in the trial of former prosecutor Jackie Johnson, who has been charged with violating her oath of office and interfering with the police investigation of the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery. Jury selection began a week ago at the courthouse in coastal Glynn county but was delayed by last week's winter storm. Opening statements by prosecutors and Johnson's defense lawyers were expected this afternoon. The judge says the trial could exceed two weeks. Johnson denies any wrongdoing. In sports, the Braves are losing another fan favorite from the bullpen. Veteran right hander Jesse Chavez has agreed to a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers drafted the 41 year old pitcher nearly 23 years ago. Chavez was 22 with a 313 ERA and 446 games last season for Atlanta. He was a World series champion in 2021 with the Braves. His departure comes on the heels of the departure of AJ Minter, who signed a deal with the Mets last week. And Home Depot is signing a multi year sponsorship deal with U.S. soccer. The Atlanta based retail giant announced the deal this morning at the U.S. soccer National Training center under construction in Fayette county, south of Atlanta. U.S. soccer's chief commercial officer, David Wright says the facility will be a cathedral for the sport.

[Michael Boggs]

It'll be a world class facility that will set the new standard to be able to have a central point for soccer at all levels. It'll be open and in service to the entire soccer ecosystem from professional all the way down to youth.

[Peter Biello]

The training center is named for Home Depot co founder Arthur blank, whose independent $50 million donation jump started its construction in 2023. It's now on track to open in April 2020 six months ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Home Depot sponsorship comes a month after the company inked a similar deal with FIFA. Financial terms of both agreements were not disclosed. Atlanta is scheduled to host eight World cup matches. That's a wrap on Georgia Today, but.

[Vienna Forrest]

We'Ve got more news on the way.

[Peter Biello]

Tomorrow, including reaction from the immigrant community to the ICE raids that occurred over the weekend. If you have first hand knowledge of what happened, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us by email. The address is Georgia todaypb.org Remember to subscribe to this podcast and check gpb.org news for any late breaking stories. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.