Former Georgia lawmaker Felicia Franklin is looking to file a lawsuit against Clayton County after being removed from her vice chair position on the Board of Commissioners last month. The incident that led to her dismissal involved Franklin being found passed out in front of a local sports bar. After a body camera revealed the situation, county officials immediately ousted her from her position.
The altercation took place in September of this year, when Morrow Police Department officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call about someone being passed out in front of the 404 Sports Bar and Grill. When police arrived, they discovered Franklin, lying on the ground, clearly incapacitated. Body camera footage showed officers lifting Franklin onto a gurney, where she became upset, yelling, and cursing at first responders. As more information was gathered, it was discovered that Franklin had apparently been drinking earlier in the evening.
According to police sergeant Scott Stewart, security footage from the bar revealed Franklin entering the establishment on her own and ordering numerous drinks. It was later revealed that she had consumed a total of five drinks that evening, including three “home run” drinks containing 40-proof cocktails, a glass of wine, and a swig of beer. When confronted with the receipts that proved her drinking, Franklin initially contested the number of drinks she had had, but then claimed that the other drinks were for people she was with.
NEW: Democrat Georgia county commissioner Felicia Franklin was found wasted & passed out in the street according to police bodycam footage.
Additional footage from her ride in the ambulance shows her assaulting people trying to help.
Franklin is now claiming to be the victim,… pic.twitter.com/ssI15SEtOq
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 13, 2023
During the incident, Franklin was verbally and physically abusive towards the officers and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). She yelled profanities and declares that she was given “a date rape drug.” However, the Morrow Police Department has found no evidence of this claim. According to the police report, a toxicology report showed traces of cannabis in Franklin’s system. Although she refused to take a blood test, a urinalysis showed that cannabis was present when she was examined at the hospital.
Subsequent to the incident, Franklin has continued to maintain her innocence. Despite the evidence against her, she initially claimed that she was drugged and insisted that “it was believed by medical professionals” that she had been given GHB. When it was found that someone she was with bought her drinks at the bar, her defense changed, and she stated that she has no recollection of drinking that many beverages.
In a statement, Clayton County officials explained that Franklin’s conduct was “unbecoming of her position.” Chairman Jeff Turner also stated that, “The video spoke for itself. What more can we say?”
Franklin, who is also running for the county chair position, claimed that the action taken against her was unlawful and has since announced her intentions to file a lawsuit against the county to reclaim her position. “I will be working closely with my attorney to make sure that justice is served,” she stated on her Facebook page.
