Ga. lawmaker loses bid to seek damages for his arrest
ATLANTA, Ga. - A Fulton County magistrate judge denied a state senator’s attempts to collect damages resulting from alleged injuries he sustained after his arrest at the Georgia State Capitol earlier this year.
On Friday, Judge Robert Wolf rejected state Sen. Colton Moore’s (R-Trenton) requests that warrants be issued for Randall Keith Williams, general counsel for Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington). Wolf said none of the charges brought by Moore and his attorney, Caroline Bernard, rose to the level of probable cause necessary for the warrants’ issuance.
Moore was arrested outside House chambers at the State Capitol on Jan. 16, 2025, while forcibly attempting to enter to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address. Moore had been banned from House chambers in 2024 by Burns after he denounced late House Speaker David Ralston, calling him “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we’ll ever see in our lifetime.”
Video was played showing Moore’s arrest in which he claimed Williams pushed him to the ground while trying to stop him from entering.
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Moore was seeking damages stemming from accusations of battery; aggravated battery; criminal interference with government property; disruption of the Senate or House of Representatives; and unlawful practice of law.
Moore was taken to Fulton County Jail, where he was charged with misdemeanor willful obstruction of law enforcement officers. On Friday, Moore said he sustained an injury to his hand during the altercation, and produced photos taken at a local hospital after he was booked at the notorious jail.
“It appears Williams, a member of the speaker’s staff, was acting at [Burns’] direction,” Bernard said.
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On Friday, Moore said he was exercising his “constitutionally compelled duty” to attend the governor’s speech.
Bernard also brought in state troopers and Capitol police officers for testimony, while Andrew Fleishman, one of Williams’ attorneys, said the court did not have jurisdiction over an incident that happened at the State Capitol.
“It’s disruptive and it seems like this has been designed for maximum disruption,” Fleishman said. “So many people have been called away from the busiest day of the legislative year to be here.”
Wolf said he considered simple battery, disorderly conduct and simple assault, which he said were not brought up by Moore’s legal team but could be applied, and said he decided against those as well.
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