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Georgia Today: Giuliani loses defamation suit; Vigil for journalists killed in Gaza; StubHub list
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On the Friday, Dec. 15 edition of Georgia Today: Voting rights groups score a win in their challenge to Cobb County's school board district maps; Atlanta journalists rally in support of reporters killed in Gaza; and we'll tell you which Atlanta events had the highest attendance this year according to StubHub.
Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Dec. 15. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, voting rights groups score a win in their challenge to Cobb County School Board district maps. Atlanta journalists rally in support of reporters killed in Gaza. And we'll tell you which Atlanta events had the highest attendance this year, according to StubHub. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.
Story 1:
Peter Biello: A jury awarded $148 million in damages today to two former Georgia election workers who sued former President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, for defamation. The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of false conspiracy theories pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans. Giuliani had already been found liable in the case. He previously conceded in court documents that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the D.C. courthouse this week. Giuliani's lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong, but insisted that Giuliani was not fully responsible for what happened to the women. The judgment adds to growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who was among the loudest proponents of Trump's false claims of election fraud that are now a key part of the criminal cases against the former president.
Story 2:
Peter Biello: A federal judge is blocking metro Atlanta's Cobb County from using newly drawn political boundaries for its school board. The judge yesterday issued an order temporarily blocking the map while a case against it goes forward. A group of plaintiffs led by voting rights groups allege the new boundaries amount to an illegal gerrymander, primarily motivated by race. Majority Republicans in the General Assembly approved the map in the 2022 legislative session. The judge has ordered lawmakers to come up with a new map by Jan.10. The case mirrors a larger one for state legislative and U.S. House maps, fueled by changing demographics and politics in Atlanta's suburbs.
Story 3:
Peter Biello: Attorneys for former President Donald Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, are asking a federal appeals court to move Meadows trial on election interference charges from state court to federal court. GPB's Stephen Fowler has more.
Stephen Fowler: Mark Meadows is one of 19 people indicted in a racketeering conspiracy stemming from the effort to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. His lawyers say that the charges should be dismissed because the things he did were part of his job as chief of staff and he can't be prosecuted. And if they can't be dismissed, they should be heard in federal court, not Fulton County Court. A federal judge rejected the removal request earlier this year. So now the 11th Circuit appeals court will weigh in after a Friday hearing. Prosecutors say Meadows wasn't acting in his official role when aiding efforts to overturn the election. There's no word on when the court will decide. For GPB News, I'm Stephen Fowler.
Story 4:
Peter Biello: A group of Atlanta-based journalists is coming together to hold a vigil for news workers killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7. More than 18,000 people have died in the conflict, including at least 63 members of the media. The Committee to Protect Journalists says this has been the deadliest month for news workers since they began tracking in 1992. The vigil will be held at Atlanta's Freedom Park tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Story 5:
Peter Biello: The chief magistrate in Atlanta's Fulton County plans to stop handling preliminary hearings and low-level felony cases for the county's superior courts. The decision by Magistrate Cassandra Kirk comes as her court faces a backlog. But officials worry it could slow down criminal cases in Superior Court and exacerbate overcrowding at the troubled county jail. Meanwhile, the county sheriff is asking state lawmakers to add more judges to speed up the process. GPB's Devon Zwald reports.
Devon Zwald: Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat testified in front of a panel of state senators yesterday as part of a legislative investigation into Atlanta's Fulton County Jail. Labat said that overcrowding is improving, but some detainees still have been in the jail for too long.
Pat Labat: Some individuals had been in jail longer than they would have had they gone to court, been sentenced. And their sentence was probably longer from that perspective.
Devon Zwald: Labatt said that three individuals have been in the jail for a decade. For GPB News, I'm Devon Zwald.
Story 6:
Peter Biello: One of the oldest homes in Columbus has reopened as a restaurant. The 1839 Goetchius House was saved from demolition in 1969 by the founding member of the Columbus Historical Society. That's when the nearly 9,000-square-foot building was moved to its current location and later became a popular spot for dances, graduations, weddings and birthday parties. It's been closed for years. Miami-based developer Matthew Lapides is one half of the husband and wife duo reimagining it.
Matthew Lapides: And my wife and I did not understand how this house and the community really walked hand-in-hand. Everyone seems to have a story, whether it's themselves, a prom. Only the walls can talk. Would we able to hear all the joy that the house has created within the community over so many years?
Peter Biello: A fine dining restaurant opened in the house this week with a bar, casual dining, bakery, ice cream parlor and other spaces expected to open next month.
Story 7:
Peter Biello: Live event, ticket exchange and resale company StubHub says Taylor Swift's April concerts topped this year's live experiences in Atlanta. The company's year-end list of biggest events around the country was dominated by Swift, whose Eras tour shattered many records. Morgan Wallen and Beyonce concerts and two sporting events, the Peach Bowl and the SEC football Championship, rounded out the top five. The report says just over two-thirds of Atlanta sales were driven by out-of-towners. That places Atlanta 8th among top U.S. destinations for ticket buyers traveling to live events.
And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit our website, GPB.org/news. And if you haven't subscribed to this podcast yet, take a moment and do it now. It'll keep us current in your podcast feed. If you've got feedback or a story idea for us, let us know by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday.
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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news
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