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Second Atlanta Eagle lawsuit filed in Fulton Superior Court over police raid

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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Nine men who were in the Atlanta Eagle the night it was raided by police two years ago this weekend are suing Mayor Kasim Reed and 25 police officers in Fulton Superior Court. The lawsuit was filed late Thursday, before the two year statute of limitations expired.

The lawsuit alleges many of the same offenses in the original lawsuit filed in November 2009, shortly after the raid occurred on Sept. 10, 2009. Represented by attorneys Dan Grossman and Gerry Weber, the plaintiffs in the second lawsuit accuse the officers named in the lawsuit for violating their the Fourth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution protecting people from illegal search and seizures.

Second Atlanta Eagle lawsuit to be filed against city

The Georgia Voice Editors
Community
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Patrons of the Atlanta Eagle the night the gay bar was raided on Sept. 10, 2009, and who were not part of the original federal civil lawsuit, plan to file suit later this week against the city of Atlanta and individual police officers involved in the raid.

The suit will be filed by Sept. 9 — before the second anniversary of the raid and the statute of limitations expires for people seeking claims against the city. People who were in the bar the night it was raided and not part of the first lawsuit are being asked to come forward to be part of the second lawsuit before Friday, Sept. 9.

“It is time for the City of Atlanta to put the Eagle matter to rest, but time and again the actions of the city show that city leaders just ‘do not get it.’ The Eagle raid victims should all be fairly compensated and reforms must be fully implemented,” said attorney Gerry Weber in a statement.

Major in botched Atlanta Eagle gay bar raid announces retirement

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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Former Maj. Debra WilliamsDebra Williams, who was demoted from major to lieutenant on the Atlanta Police Department in the wake of last week's devastating investigations into the department's raid on the Atlanta Eagle, is retiring from the force.

Williams, who served 27 years on the force, announced her intentions to retire on Wednesday, July 6, APD spokesperson Carlos Campos confirmed to the GA Voice Thursday. The retirement went into effect Wednesday.

Williams was demoted from major after it was determined in the independent Greenberg Traurig investigation of the raid on the Eagle, a gay Midtown bar, that she was ineffective as supervisor of the raid. The APD's internal affairs unit also found Williams' supervision inadequate.

Dept. of Justice cites Atlanta Eagle raid as example of anti-gay police harassment

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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In a federal court brief filed July 1, the Department of Justice cited the Atlanta Police Department's raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar, as evidence of ongoing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Department of Justice filed the brief in the ongoing legal case involving federal employee Karen Golinski. The brief argues that the federal court should not dismiss her claim that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Golinski is suing the government for equal access to health benefits for her wife in a legal battle that has spanned some two years.

The brief, filed on behalf of the Office of Personnel Management and other defendants in the case, begins by saying "Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, 1 U.S.C. Section 7 ('DOMA'), unconstitutionally discriminates."

Earlier this year, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the DOJ would no longer defend DOMA in court over the constitutionality of Section 3 in several cases challenging the law.

Queer Justice League meets July 5 to discuss investigations into Atlanta Eagle raid

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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Atlanta Eagle attorney Dan Grossman will be speaking at the Queer Justice League’s meeting on Tuesday, July 5.

The meeting begins at 8 p.m. and is being held at the Phillip Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307.

Grossman will discuss the recent investigations of the Atlanta Police Department and its action in the Sept. 10, 2009, raid on the Eagle, a Midtown gay bar. He will also discuss the implementation of policies the APD is mandated to undertake as part of a $1.025 million settlement with Eagle plaintiffs.

Atlanta Eagle investigation reports still not completed?

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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It’s June 28 — the day after two federally court-mandated investigations into the Atlanta Police raid of the Atlanta Eagle were due.

The city hired prestigious law firm Greenberg Traurig to conduct an independent investigation of the raid, headed up by Joe Whitley, a former U.S. Attorney.

Dan Grossman, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the Eagle lawsuit against the city, said he has been in close contact with Whitley and believes the firm is in compliance.

Atlanta Eagle police raid investigations due today, but nothing surfaces yet

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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The long-awaited city investigation into the Atlanta Police Department’s 2009 raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar, was to be completed today, June 27, as mandated by a federal judge. The judge also required the report be released to the public when finished.

However, as June 27 comes to a close — a deadline set after the judge gave the city a three-week extension to finish the investigation — still nothing has been released from the mayor’s office or the APD to the public.

Two reports — one from the mayor's office and one from the APD's Office of Professional Standards — were due today as part of the city’s settlement with plaintiffs who sued the city after the bar was raided Sept. 10, 2009. The judge ruled the raid unconstitutional and the city settled the federal civil lawsuit for $1.025 million in December.

Atlanta Eagle raid investigation extended another 21 days

The Georgia Voice Editors
Atlanta
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A court-mandated investigation into the Atlanta Eagle raid was to be finished next week, but a federal judge agreed to a 21-day extension with the caveat that all materials in the investigation, including transcripts with police officers and bar patrons as well as information on officers' conduct, be made public.

According to court documents filed June 1, the investigation into the Eagle raid by the Atlanta Police Department and private law firm Greenberg Traurig have until June 27 to finish the investigation that has supposedly been ongoing since the days following the police raid of the gay leather bar on Sept. 10, 2009.

The city of Atlanta settled a federal lawsuit in December for $1.025 million. As part of the settlement, the city was ordered to conduct a thorough investigation into the raid within six months, with the original date for the completion of the investigation set for Monday, June 6. The city hired Greenberg Traurig to conduct the court-mandated investigation in March with former U.S. Attorney Joe Whitley heading it up.

A new Mr. Atlanta Eagle is crowned

The Georgia Voice Editors
Nightlife
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Wayne Turpin Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2011

Wayne Turpin is Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2011, winning the contest Saturday at the Atlanta Eagle during the bar’s second annual Leather Pride weekend as well as a celebration of its 24th anniversary.

Turpin beat out three other contestants for the title competing in categories of bar wear, fetish and jockstrap as well as a Q&A where contestants were asked, among other things, to describe their ultimate sexual fantasy.

First runner-up was Doug Weaver. Other contestants were Robert Jenkins and Master Du-Wayne.

Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2010 Chandler Bearden awarded the top spot medal to Turpin while Sir Alan Penrod, Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2009, presented the first runner up medal to Weaver.

Mr. Atlanta Eagle Chandler Bearden: Leather, tattoos and life with HIV

The Georgia Voice Editors
Community
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Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2010 Chandler Bearden (left) with 2009 Mr. Atlanta Eagle Alan Penrod

Chandler Bearden, 32, heads up community outreach for the MISTER project at Positive Impact, an organization that provides culturally competent mental health resources and prevention services to those affected by HIV. He is also the very sexy Mr. Atlanta Eagle 2010. This weekend, he will pass on his title to a new Mr. Atlanta Eagle as part of the Eagle’s 24th anniversary and the celebration of Atlanta Leather Pride.

GA Voice: Where were you born and how long have you lived in Atlanta? Chandler Bearden: I was born in Savannah, adopted at two weeks and moved to Gray, Ga. I lived there until I was 16 and then moved to Atlanta.

When were you diagnosed with HIV? How does your status affect the work you do at Positive Impact? I was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 23. I believe my status helps me to better identify and relate with the epidemic, and that my work at MISTER allows me to help those in need of related services and to educate those not infected.