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Writer's pictureJoy Ramsingh

Ramsingh defeats the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's motion to dismiss an Open Records Act suit brought on behalf of Campside Media, an award-winning podcast company

Atlanta, GA – Last week, attorneys with Ramsingh Legal defeated the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's bid to dismiss Campside Media’s Open Records Act lawsuit. Campside Media is seeking records from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation relating to the controversial police shooting of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán.

 

On the morning of January 18, 2024, Manuel Esteban Paez Terán died after being shot 57 times in a confrontation with law enforcement officials near Atlanta. An investigation led by the GBI concluded that no officer acted wrongfully in shooting Terán. Once that investigation closed with no future charges pending, Campside Media requested a copy of the GBI’s investigative file.

 

In response, the GBI filed a motion to dismiss, claiming that the sought records relate to the pending RICO prosecution of 67 other individuals who were protesting the new Public Safety Training Center known as “Cop City” at the same time Terán was shot.

 

Joy Ramsingh argued the case before the Superior Court of DeKalb, pointing out that the conclusive report of the special prosecutor was already publicized and that no subsequent charges would be filed against the suspect police officer.

 

This important ruling reaffirms the principle that agencies must do more than simply point to a potential exemption to defeat an Open Records Act lawsuit. The agency must meet its burden of proof, which generally requires a hearing on the merits.

 

With this dispositive motion defeated, the case can now continue to a hearing on the merits.

 

A link to the order is below:






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