A Georgia state lawmaker and nine others arrested while protesting at the state Capitol in the wake of the 2018 midterm elections have filed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit further enforcement of the law cited in their arrest.
Democratic State Sen. Nikema Williams was among 15 people arrested in November 2018 while calling for uncounted ballots to be tallied. The demonstration happened against the backdrop of lingering uncertainty over the outcome of the race for governor.
The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against a dozen Department of Public Safety officers targets a state law that makes it illegal for any person “recklessly or knowingly to commit any act which may reasonably be expected to prevent or disrupt a session or meeting of the Senate or House of Representatives.” The suit says the law is “nearly identical” to one that was previously declared unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court.
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