Judge denies Georgia senator's warrant request against speaker's counsel
Colton Moore asks for charges to be filed
The state senator who was arrested earlier this year after scuffling with Capitol staffers asked a magistrate court judge to bring criminal charges against one of those men.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Fulton County magistrate judge has denied Georgia Sen. Colton Moore’s request for a criminal warrant against Keith Williams, general counsel for House Speaker Jon Burns.
What we know:
Judge Robert Wolf ruled during a probably cause hearing that Moore, a Republican from Trenton, did not provide sufficient evidence to charge Williams with assault following a shoving incident at the Georgia State Capitol in January.
The backstory:
The dispute stems from an incident on Jan. 16, when Moore attempted to enter the House chamber for the 2025 State of the State address. House Speaker Jon Burns had barred Moore from attending after the senator made controversial statements about late House Speaker David Ralston.
As Moore tried to enter, Williams and others attempted to block him, leading to a physical altercation in which Moore was pushed to the ground before being arrested by the Georgia State Patrol.
Although Burns later announced that Moore would be allowed back into the chamber, Moore sought to press charges against Williams, alleging assault. He requested a hearing for a criminal warrant and subpoenaed Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to testify. However, the judge ruled that Burns and Jones did not have to appear.
Judge Wolf heard testimony from Moore and several others before making his decision.
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What's next:
With Friday’s ruling, no charges will be filed against Williams, closing this chapter in the ongoing tensions between Moore and House leadership.
The Source: This article is based on court proceedings and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports.