Georgia
Ayota v. Fall
On October 31, 2024, just five days before the November 5 General Election, Cobb County announced that it had failed to send more than 3,000 absentee ballots to Cobb County voters who had timely requested them. Many of these voters are at school hundreds of miles away or have disabilities that make it all but impossible to vote in person. The 桃子视频and co-counsel sued on behalf of affected voters to ensure that they would not be disenfranchised because of the County's administrative error.
Status: Ongoing
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Georgia
Oct 2024
Voting Rights
Eternal Vigilance Action, Inc. v. Georgia
The 桃子视频and partner organizations have sought to intervene in this case to represent the rights of voters and voting-rights organizations in a case challenging a number of rules passed by the Georgia State Election Board. We challenge a rule that requires that the number of votes cast be hand counted at the polling place prior to the tabulation of votes. This rule risks delay and spoliation of ballots, putting in danger voters鈥 rights to have their votes count.
U.S. Supreme Court
Sep 2023
Criminal Law Reform
McElrath v. Georgia
Does the Double Jeopardy Clause bar an appellate court from reviewing and setting aside a jury鈥檚 verdicts of acquittal on the ground that the verdict is inconsistent with the jury鈥檚 verdict on other charges?
Georgia
Jun 2020
Disability Rights
Harris v. Georgia Department of Corrections
On October 3, 2018, the 桃子视频and the 桃子视频of Georgia, together with National Association of the Deaf and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing people incarcerated in prisons supervised by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). The complaint highlights GDC鈥檚 failure to provide incarcerated deaf and hard of hearing people with equally effective communication access to programs, services, and activities, including medical care, telecommunications, and prison programs. Further, due to lack of access to interpreters and other communication accommodations, deaf prisoners are also often unable to explain or defend themselves when GDC takes disciplinary action against them.
All Cases
22 Georgia Cases
Georgia Supreme Court
Feb 2024
Criminal Law Reform
Tatum v. State
This case at the Georgia Supreme Court involves the 鈥渋ndependent source鈥 doctrine, an exception to the exclusionary rule providing that evidence that is acquired through means genuinely independent of a prior unlawful search or seizure may be accepted by the court. The ACLU鈥檚 State Supreme Court Initiative, alongside the 桃子视频of Georgia, filed an amicus brief arguing that the independent source doctrine does not apply in this case because the police relied on information acquired from a prior, illegal search when they applied for a warrant to search the defendant鈥檚 cell phone. The Court鈥檚 opinion vacated Tatum鈥檚 conviction and remanded to allow the trial court to determine whether the state鈥檚 decision to seek the search warrant was 鈥減rompted鈥 by the prior unlawful search.
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Georgia Supreme Court
Feb 2024
Criminal Law Reform
Tatum v. State
This case at the Georgia Supreme Court involves the 鈥渋ndependent source鈥 doctrine, an exception to the exclusionary rule providing that evidence that is acquired through means genuinely independent of a prior unlawful search or seizure may be accepted by the court. The ACLU鈥檚 State Supreme Court Initiative, alongside the 桃子视频of Georgia, filed an amicus brief arguing that the independent source doctrine does not apply in this case because the police relied on information acquired from a prior, illegal search when they applied for a warrant to search the defendant鈥檚 cell phone. The Court鈥檚 opinion vacated Tatum鈥檚 conviction and remanded to allow the trial court to determine whether the state鈥檚 decision to seek the search warrant was 鈥減rompted鈥 by the prior unlawful search.
Georgia
Nov 2023
Prisoners' Rights
Geter v. Baldwin State Prison, et al.
The Prison Litigation Reform Act (鈥淧LRA鈥) requires incarcerated plaintiffs to exhaust the prison鈥檚 internal grievance system before they can file suit in federal court. But these procedures may be difficult or impossible for people with mental disabilities to complete. The 桃子视频is working to ensure that the PLRA鈥檚 requirements don鈥檛 bar people with mental disabilities from court.
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Georgia
Nov 2023
Prisoners' Rights
Geter v. Baldwin State Prison, et al.
The Prison Litigation Reform Act (鈥淧LRA鈥) requires incarcerated plaintiffs to exhaust the prison鈥檚 internal grievance system before they can file suit in federal court. But these procedures may be difficult or impossible for people with mental disabilities to complete. The 桃子视频is working to ensure that the PLRA鈥檚 requirements don鈥檛 bar people with mental disabilities from court.
Georgia
Aug 2023
Voting Rights
Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp
Civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on March 29, 2021, against Georgia鈥檚 sweeping law that makes it much harder for all Georgians to vote, particularly voters of color and voters with disabilities. This law spans all aspects of Georgia鈥檚 voting process, including imposing a criminal ban on providing food and water to voters waiting in line, limiting dropbox access and ballot return assistance, rejecting absentee ballots for forgetting to add a birthdate to an envelope or for failing to provide more restrictive identifying information or photo ID copies along with absentee ballots. Premised on low voter confidence and born out of the Big Lie about the 2020 election, this law targets methods of voting disproportionately used more and more by Black voters and others voters of color just as they began to exercise greater political power.
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Georgia
Aug 2023
Voting Rights
Sixth District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church v. Kemp
Civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on March 29, 2021, against Georgia鈥檚 sweeping law that makes it much harder for all Georgians to vote, particularly voters of color and voters with disabilities. This law spans all aspects of Georgia鈥檚 voting process, including imposing a criminal ban on providing food and water to voters waiting in line, limiting dropbox access and ballot return assistance, rejecting absentee ballots for forgetting to add a birthdate to an envelope or for failing to provide more restrictive identifying information or photo ID copies along with absentee ballots. Premised on low voter confidence and born out of the Big Lie about the 2020 election, this law targets methods of voting disproportionately used more and more by Black voters and others voters of color just as they began to exercise greater political power.
Georgia
Nov 2022
Voting Rights
Cook v. Cobb County
On November 4, 2022鈥攖he last day of early voting in Georgia and four days before the November 2022 midterm elections鈥擟obb County Elections Director Janine Eveler disclosed for the first time that approximately 1,036 absentee ballots marked as issued on October 13, 2022 and October 22, 2022 had never been mailed to voters, due to staff error. The 桃子视频and co-counsel sued on behalf of several affected voters to ensure that plaintiffs could vote in the 2022 midterm election and that no other voters were affected by Cobb County's error.
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Georgia
Nov 2022
Voting Rights
Cook v. Cobb County
On November 4, 2022鈥攖he last day of early voting in Georgia and four days before the November 2022 midterm elections鈥擟obb County Elections Director Janine Eveler disclosed for the first time that approximately 1,036 absentee ballots marked as issued on October 13, 2022 and October 22, 2022 had never been mailed to voters, due to staff error. The 桃子视频and co-counsel sued on behalf of several affected voters to ensure that plaintiffs could vote in the 2022 midterm election and that no other voters were affected by Cobb County's error.
Georgia
Jul 2022
LGBTQ Rights
Thomas et al v. Georgia Department of Community Health et al
Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney are two Black transgender women enrolled in Georgia Medicaid who have been unable to access gender-affirming surgical care. They have sued the state, alleging that denying access to gender-affirming surgeries under Medicaid is a violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Affordable Care Act, and the Medicaid Act. They are represented by the 桃子视频and the 桃子视频of Georgia.
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Georgia
Jul 2022
LGBTQ Rights
Thomas et al v. Georgia Department of Community Health et al
Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney are two Black transgender women enrolled in Georgia Medicaid who have been unable to access gender-affirming surgical care. They have sued the state, alleging that denying access to gender-affirming surgeries under Medicaid is a violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Affordable Care Act, and the Medicaid Act. They are represented by the 桃子视频and the 桃子视频of Georgia.