By Ryan Fatica
Bartow County, GA — Over seven weeks after they were arrested while distributing fliers in a small suburb of Atlanta, Charley Tennenbaum continues to be held in the Bartow County Jail for actions they say are protected by the First Amendment.
On April 28, Charley and two other individuals were arrested in the city of White, Georgia and slapped with felony charges for distributing fliers containing information about Jonathan Salcedo, a Georgia State Patrol trooper who has been linked to the killing of Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Esteban Paez Terán. Tortuguita was killed by police during a raid on the Weelaunee Forest on January 18.
The three are charged with “Intimidate Law Enforcement officer/family in retaliation to discharge of duties by force,” a felony, and misdemeanor stalking.
The felony intimidation charge GA Code § 16-10-97 (2018) carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison depending upon which section of the statute prosecutors plan to apply. The part of the statute that is specific to law enforcement officers carries a minimum sentence of one year and a maximum sentence of five years as well as a $5,000 fine. Warrants filed in the case do not specify which section they are applying.
Despite the pending felony charges and the weeks they’ve spent in jail, Charley remains convinced that their actions were justified and fully legal.
“Yes, I did flier. I think it’s protected by the First Amendment,” said Charley. “I think that Georgia State Patrol officer should be charged with murder… I have the right to raise awareness about this. One hundred percent. And so I think it’s clear, it’s unfortunately clear really, that if we don’t continuously exercise our rights, our civil liberties, like the ability to legally protest and to dissent, the state will attempt to erode that.”
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