Georgia activists demand text system to remind people of court cases

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Activist groups met Wednesday at the Fulton County Courthouse to demand a new system to remind people about court dates.

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They told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington the lack of notifications leads to some preventable incarcerations.

“People are constantly complaining about getting notices for court and other legal filings late because the post office doesn’t have their act together,” community organizer, Devin Barrington-Ward told Washington.

Barrington-Ward said without a text notification many people with criminal cases get hit with a failure to appear warrant and then go to jail.

“Getting arrested for failure to appear, being locked up and then dying in jail,” activist Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore explained.

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The activists highlighted the case of 43-year-old Michael Brandon Rivers.

Rivers was found unresponsive inside the Atlanta City Detention Center on Sept. 9.

Barrington-Ward said Rivers was at the detention center since June after a failure to appear warrant was issued.

“Not because he killed someone, not because he raped someone, not because he tried to steal an election, but because he missed a court date on a misdemeanor charge,” said Barrington-Ward.

The Fulton County court website states a person can receive a text reminder for real estate matters, not for criminal cases.

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Washington spoke with a clerk of court representative who said it is the individual’s responsibility to stay aware of their court dates and times.

“We are here today to say no more. We will not die silently, and you will see what we plan to do about it,” said Dominique Grant of Women on the Rise.

Next, the activist groups will attend the upcoming Fulton County Commission meeting to request funding for a court date text reminder system.

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