Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick has mandated the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF) to disclose records related to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center — commonly referred to as ‘Cop City’ — within 30 days.
This ruling emerged from a significant legal confrontation initiated by journalists and researchers advocating for increased transparency regarding the construction of the controversial facility on city-owned land.
The plaintiffs in the case, the Atlanta Community Press Collective (ACPC) and the Lucy Parsons Labs, a research organization based in Chicago, sought access to various documents, including emails, APF board meeting agendas, and minutes.
In her 12-page order, Barwick asserted that the APF was obligated to provide the requested records in accordance with the Open Records Act.
The judge highlighted that, based on her analysis, no exemptions were applicable to the records in question.
Despite the victory for transparency advocates, Barwick’s ruling was specifically limited to the records at hand and did not serve to establish a broader legal precedent regarding the classification of non-profits associated closely with government operations.
Barwick emphasized that her court’s decision should not be seen as an advisory opinion, reiterating, ‘This court is not entering an advisory opinion.’
Importantly, the judge clarified that this order does not categorize the APF as a ‘public entity,’ nor does it imply that all APF records are universally public and accessible.
Furthermore, Barwick noted that the ordered records would not automatically apply to future open records requests, although she expressed that compliance with the law is expected.
In a notable decision, Barwick also declined to award attorney’s fees to ACPC and Lucy Parsons Labs, explaining that while APF’s actions constituted a violation of the Open Records Act, they were not executed ‘knowingly and willfully.’
Barwick concurred with APF’s argument that releasing certain records could jeopardize the safety of named individuals, which they justified by referencing harassment and sometimes violent tactics employed by opponents of the training center.
However, the APF’s characterization of ACPC as a mere extension of the activist movement, equating their efforts to ‘terrorism,’ was rejected by ACPC.
They maintained that the identity of the requester should not influence whether public documents can be withheld, a point that Barwick supported in her concluding remarks.
Samantha Hamilton, ACPC’s staff attorney, expressed satisfaction that the judge recognized APF’s reasoning for withholding the records as unfounded.
She stated that APF had withheld the documents primarily because the plaintiffs published critical information concerning the foundation and Cop City.
Hamilton voiced her frustration over the necessity of a legal battle that began one and a half years ago to affirm that the Cop City records were indeed subject to the Georgia Open Records Act.
As for the APF’s next steps, it remains uncertain whether the organization intends to appeal Barwick’s ruling, as former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Howard Melton, who represented APF during the trial, declined to comment on the matter.
image source from：https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2025/06/02/atlanta-police-foundation-ordered-release-cop-city-records/
