Atlanta Eagle attorneys allege city withholding, destroying key evidence in federal lawsuit

Attorneys representing the Atlanta Eagle in a federal civil suit against the city of Atlanta and numerous Atlanta Police Department officers say the city is deliberately hiding information and even destroying evidence from as they seek details about the botched raid on the gay bar last year.

In court documents filed Oct. 6, the attorneys for the plaintiffs — Dan Grossman as well as attorneys from Lambda Legal and the Southern Center for Human Rights — allege, “Throughout this litigation the Defendants and their counsel have acted as if the rules, the law, and even the orders of this Court simply do not apply to them: They have responded late to most discovery requests; failed to respond at all to others; … failed to preserve, search for, or produce responsive items as required by law; failed to obey clear and unambiguous orders of this Court; and rather than produce evidence pursuant to this Court’s Order, they destroyed it.”

The attorneys for the plaintiffs are asking the court to order the city’s legal department to follow the court’s order to turn over all evidence or face severe sanctions.

“Given Defendants’ refusal to obey the clear orders issued by this Court, Plaintiffs ask the Court to hold Defendants and their counsel in civil contempt and order them imprisoned, but give them the opportunity to purge the contempt and avoid ever being jailed simply by complying with the Court’s orders within a reasonable period of time,” according to the 55-page motion.

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Source: thegavoice.com
By: Dyana Bagby