Judge blames Atlanta officials for confusion over ‘Stop Cop City’ referendum campaign

By R.J. RICO
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge overseeing the case involving Atlanta activists’ referendum effort against a police and firefighter training facility has accused city officials of moving the goalposts on the signature-gathering campaign. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen on Wednesday ruled that he does not have the authority to force the city of Atlanta to begin processing the tens of thousands of signatures that were recently handed in by “Stop Cop City” activists. He explained that he cannot intervene while a dispute over the effort is awaiting input from an appeals court. But Cohen also said officials’ shifting approaches to the petition drive have “directly contributed” to a widespread sense of confusion over the matter.