WORCESTER – The trial of a 2022 Worcester Technical High School graduate, set to begin on Wednesday, was delayed while a motion to dismiss the case goes to appeals court in Georgia.
Ayla King, 19, of Worcester, was among 35 detained on March 5, 2023, after what Atlanta Police called a violent attack at the future location of that city’s Public Safety Training Facility, which opponents call “Cop City.”
King’s attorney asked for a speedy trial and claims the court failed to hold the trial within the required time frame. The judge in the case dismissed the motion to dismiss, but King’s attorney informed the court on Wednesday that they would appeal. King was set to go on trial on Wednesday for a single Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge.
It is unclear how long the trial will be delayed during the appeal, but two to four weeks is expected.
Police say dozens of protestors left the South River Music Festival, less than a mile away from the facility site, changed clothes, and launched the attack on March 5. King was arrested at the music festival and says she was with a group of non-violent protestors. No police were injured in the clash.
Of the 35 detained, police filed charges that included terrorism against 21 individuals, including King. Since the protests began in 2021, police have arrested 61 on similar charges.
Several organizations and others have criticized the severity of the charges, which they say is a tactic to suppress opposition to the construction of the facility. According to reporting by The Intercept, the probable cause stated in the warrants for arrest of the activists cited having mud on their shoes, although those arrested, including King, were at a concert in the forest. It also says that warrants claimed phone numbers for legal support written on the arms of the accused contributed to the probable cause for the arrest, despite it being a common tactic during mass protests.
Construction of the $90 million, 85 acre facility is set in the Weelaunee Forest, Atlanta’s largest green space. Opposition to the project comes from environmental concerns and opposition to further militarization of police.
The location was once the site of the Atlanta Prison Farm, which operated from 1920 to 1990. A 2021 study found prisoners were abused, neglected, and tortured at the facility.
