Georgia
Critics accuse Georgia sheriff of silencing them on social media in lawsuit
Three Georgia residents are accusing Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens of violating their free speech rights, alleging in a lawsuit that he silenced their critical opinions on Facebook following a viral incident in which he called deputies to a Burger King over a botched order.
The legal filing in U.S. District Court lists David Cavender – a Republican who unsuccessfully ran against Owens for the sheriff position this election season – as one of the plaintiffs.
“Defendant Craig Owens was displeased that certain persons, including the Plaintiffs, were publicly criticizing his performance as the Sheriff of Cobb County, Georgia,” the lawsuit says. “Instead of upholding the First Amendment and stomaching speech he found personally distasteful, Owens decided instead to utilize the powers of his office to censor the speech of Plaintiffs, and others, based on viewpoint.”
An attorney wrote that in October, in the weeks leading up to Election Day, a video that emerged of “Owens utilizing Cobb County Sheriff deputies to intercede in a personal dispute with Burger King employees became viral” and that the plaintiffs “had been leveling harsh criticism against Owens” over it and other matters.
GEORGIA SHERIFF CALLS DEPUTIES FOR HELP AFTER BECOMING UPSET THAT BURGER KING GOT HIS ORDER WRONG
READ THE FILING BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE
In that March 2023 incident, three deputies were dispatched to the fast-food restaurant in Mableton with sirens blaring.
“Hey, do me a favor. I need to get, all I need is the owner name of whoever owns this damn facility or the manager,” Owens is heard telling one deputy who showed up on scene.
“I wanted her [to get his female passenger] a Whopper, no mayo, cut in half, right?” he continued.
The sheriff added: “I don’t need no damn money back no more. I just need to find out who owns this place so I can do an official complaint.”
The lawsuit says on Oct. 29 of this year, Owens put in place “sweeping restrictions” over who can post comments on the Cobb County Sheriff Office’s Facebook page.
EX-GEORGIA POLL WORKER INDICTED FOR MAILING BOMB THREAT TO POLLING PLACE: FBI
Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens called his deputies to the Burger King on Veterans Memorial Highway in Mableton on March 4, 2023. (Cobb County Sheriff’s Office)
“On information and belief, these restrictions were put in place because of the viewpoint of commenters’ posts grew increasingly critical of Owens and his performance as Sheriff; in other words Owens put the restrictions in place to prevent the expression of a viewpoint,” the lawsuit says, adding that some of the posts made by the plaintiffs were deleted or hidden by the Sheriff’s Office Facebook account.
The Sheriff’s Office then wrote on Nov. 1 that it is “committed to providing a safe and respectful space on our social media channels.
“To keep our posts focused on community safety updates and educational info, we’ve turned off the comments feature,” it added.
The lawsuit is asking a judge to “declare the actions of Defendant Owens… to be view-point based restrictions in violation of the First Amendment”, prohibit his “unlawful practice of retaliatory censorship” and to prevent him “from deleting comments, blocking posters, or restricting commenters to those who are friends or referenced within posts,” among other damages.
The lawsuit against Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens states the plaintiffs posted critical comments of him online following an incident involving the sheriff at a Burger King in Georgia last year. (Getty Images)
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Both the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and the law firm that filed the lawsuit did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Athlon Sports projected the best SEC games for each week of the 2026 regular season.
The conference features some of the most compelling matchups in all of college football, from opening weekend through rivalry week. The selections emphasize games anticipated to have the biggest impact on the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.
Florida’s annual clash with Georgia was tabbed as one of the SEC’s premier fixtures. The game has grown in national significance since it began in 1904, continuing as a battle of blue-blood programs that routinely produces iconic results. The game temporarily moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the Jacksonville stadium renovations.
The Jon Sumrall era carries with it an increasing sense of belief — many experts see the Gators as a dark-horse CFB playoff contender. Regardless of its final win-loss record, UF will play a part in shaping the season’s narrative as they face several post-season favorites in Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.
Noted in the article is the SEC’s depth and newly implemented nine-game conference schedule. Georgia, Texas, Alabama and LSU appear multiple times on this list, with Georgia facing Alabama in Week 6 and Ole Miss in Week 10 while LSU hosts Clemson in Week 1 and will see Texas in Week 11 take on Alabama.
Many contenders from the SEC face multiple nationally relevant foes over the course of the season.
Athlon Sports’ Best game for every week of the 2026 season
- Week 1: Clemson at LSU (Sept. 5)
- Week 2: Ohio State at Texas (Sept. 12)
- Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 19)
- Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia (Sept. 26)
- Week 5: Auburn at Tennessee (Oct. 3)
- Week 6: Georgia at Alabama (Oct. 10)
- Week 7: Alabama at Tennessee (Oct. 17)
- Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas (Oct. 24)
- Week 9: Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (Oct. 31)
- Week 10: Georgia at Ole Miss (Nov. 7)
- Week 11: Texas at LSU (Nov. 14)
- Week 12: Texas A&M at Oklahoma (Nov. 21)
- Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M (Friday) (Nov. 27)
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
The Georgia Bulldogs are expected to have one of the country’s best defenses again in 2026. Georgia has a lot of continuity from the 2025 defense and should be able to dominate many of their opponents this fall.
The Bulldogs defense will be led by potential All-American defensive backs KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson. Georgia appears to be set at inside linebacker with the likes of Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, Justin Williams and Zayden Walker forming a formidable group.
Georgia’s defense is not without questions. The Bulldogs need defensive tackle Elijah Griffin to play like a star as a sophomore. Georgia has to get more pass rush production. UGA managed only 20 sacks a year ago and their top defensive transfer addition, Amaris Williams of Auburn, is expected to be out for the season. Georgia fans can all remember Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss running circles around the Georgia defense in crucial moments of the Sugar Bowl.
Outside of the pass rush, Georgia’s depth at outside cornerback is probably the Bulldogs’ second-biggest weakness. If Ellis Robinson gets hurt, then Georgia could be in trouble. Despite these concerns, Georgia’s defense should overwhelm weaker SEC opponents this fall.
Nose tackle
- Jordan Hall
- Xzavier McLeod
- Nnamdi Ogboko
Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Hall is a former five-star recruit with a significant injury history. His snaps will probably be limited at times this fall. Xzavier McLeod has improved in each of his two seasons at Georgia and should be one of Georgia’s top depth options in the defensive line rotation. Nasir Johnson is another big body to know up front at nose tackle.
Defensive tackle
- Elijah Griffin
- Josh Horton
- Nasir Johnson/London Seymour/Valdin Sone
Five-star defensive lineman Elijah Griffin is entering his second season and is looking to have a big year after making an impact as a true freshman. Josh Horton has plenty of experience, but Bulldog fans would like to see a bit more production. Another defensive lineman to know is freshman Valdin Sone, who is a five-star recruit.
Defensive end
- Gabe Harris
- Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
- Justin Greene/JJ Hanne
Gabe Harris has the size to play both defensive end and outside linebacker. Georgia needs him as a pass rusher. He missed the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl loss and spring practice due to a turf toe injury. Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is a former elite recruit.
Outside linebacker
- Quintavius Johnson
- Chase Linton/Isaiah Gibson
- Darren Ikinnagbon/Khamari Brooks/PJ Dean
Quintavius Johnson is expected to start after a promising 2025 season. Gabe Harris and Chris Cole will also see action at outside linebacker. One of these second-year players needs to step up: Isaiah Gibson, Chase Linton and/or Darren Ikinnagbon. All have a lot of talent and are in for bigger roles after Auburn transfer Amaris Williams suffered an ACL injury in the spring. Freshmen Khamari Brooks and PJ Dean were both four-star signees.
Inside linebacker
- Raylen Wilson
- Chris Cole
- Justin Williams
- Zayden Walker
Once again, Georgia and coach Glenn Schumann have a stacked inside linebackers room. The Bulldogs will start two inside linebackers, but their backups will all play key roles. Chris Cole led UGA in sacks during the 2025 season. Cole and Zayden Walker are important pieces in Georgia’s pass rush. Raylen Wilson (knee) and Walker (shoulder) both missed the spring.
Georgia freshmen Nick Abrams has a lot of talent and veteran Terrell Foster is reliable, but they’re expected to be buried on Georgia’s depth chart along with redshirt freshman AJ Kruah.
Outside cornerback
- Ellis Robinson IV
- Demello Jones
- Braylon Conley/Gentry Williams
- Jontae Gilbert/Caden Harris/Justice Fitzpatrick
Georgia’s outside cornerback room is led by Ellis Robinson, who should be an All-SEC pick. The spot opposite Robinson should go to Demello Jones, but don’t rule out experience transfers Braylon Conley (USC) and Gentry Williams (Oklahoma). There is some concern about Georgia’s outside cornerback depth this season. Jontae Gilbert, Caden Harris and Justice Fitzpatrick all have talent, but Fitzpatrick did suffer a torn ACL in December.
Slot cornerback
- Khalil Barnes
- Rasean Dinkins
- Zech Fort
Rasean Dinkins did well in the SEC championship against Alabama, but not as strong in the Sugar Bowl. Clemson transfer Khalil Barnes is projected to start over him with Tyrique Green being another name to watch at star.
Free safety
- KJ Bolden
- Tyrique Green
- Jaylan Morgan/Jordan Smith
Georgia junior KJ Bolden should be an All-SEC pick. Four-star signee Tyrique Green is going to find a way on to the field this season.
Strong safety
- Rasean Dinkins
- Zion Branch/Ja’Marley Riddle/Kyron Jones
- Todd Robinson/Blake Stewart
Dinkins and Barnes will both likely start for UGA. Zion Branch, Ja’Marley Riddle and Kyron Jones should all see snaps with Jones’ health being a question.
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