Atlanta Municipal Court judge finds Atlanta Eagle patrons not guilty
On Thursday, an Atlanta Municipal Court judge found that three men charged in the Atlanta Eagle case were not guilty. The men were accused of dancing naked without the necessary permits and with operating an adult establishment.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story.
The Atlanta Eagle, an Atlanta bar on Ponce de Leon, was raided by Atlanta Police on September 10, 2009. Police conducted the raid after undercover officers claimed to have seen drug activities and sex acts inside the bar. However, the raid did not result in any arrests or charges relating to drug possession or sex acts. Instead, eight individuals were arrested for not having a business license and for providing adult entertainment without a permit.
Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Crystal Gaines found three of the eight men not guilty. Upon the judge’s ruling, prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges against the remaining five. The attorney for the defense, Alan Begner, produced eight witnesses who told the judge that no nude dancing took place on the night of the raid.
Since the raid, patrons and staff have filed a federal lawsuit against the Atlanta City Police Department. The suit alleges that officers violated constitutional rights by searching the patrons and staff without cause. Patrons who were present during the raid report that officers forced some people to lie on the ground for an hour or more while shouting gay slurs at them.
