Atlanta Settles With Gay Bar Raided in '09

Nineteen patrons of the Eagle bar in Atlanta were awarded a settlement by a federal judge after they were subjected to a raid by police in September 2009.

The monetary amount is unspecified, as the Atlanta city council has to approve the settlement. The plaintiffs sued the city of Atlanta, former police chief Richard Pennington, and 48 Atlanta vice officers following the raid, during which 62 patrons were forced to lie down on the bar floor; no search warrant was served and no charges were filed against any of the patrons.

"It's unfortunate we need a federal judge to make our police department follow the law," plaintiffs' attorney Dan Grossman said at a news conference announcing the suit.

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