Atlanta Eagle Defendants Not Guilty

A judge found three defendants in the Atlanta Eagle gay bar case not guilty Thursday and the prosecutor agreed to drop the charges against the other five defendants.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Municipal Judge Crystal Gaines said city police failed to produce evidence proving that men danced naked without permits or that the bar operators were running an unlicensed adult establishment."

A total of eight bar employees, dancers, and a bar co-owner were charged as a result of a police raid on the Atlanta Eagle last September. Bar patrons alleged that officers used antigay slurs and subjected them to harsh treatment.

The defendants and others have countered with a federal lawsuit against the city and police officers, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In a separate move, the city council agreed to subpoena 18 officers to appear before the Citizen Review Board.