Amy Barnes was jailed and held in solitary in 2012 when she called out "fuck the police" as she bicycled past Cobb County cops who were questioning a suspect by the roadside.
Audio from one of the officers, recorded on the cruiser's dashcam, has him saying, "That ain't happening." The officers arrested Barnes for disorderly conduct, and rather than citing and releasing her, arrested her and jailed her for 24h, part of it in solitary confinement.
The judge in her case dismissed the charge. Barnes subsequently sued and won a $100,000 settlement from the county.
Counts says the settlement is reminder of everyone's constitutional rights.
"It's important to understand that people have a right to express their ideas and no matter how offensive it's not a basis for penalizing someone. And that's just wrong it violates the first amendment."
A Cobb county spokesman acknowledged "The commission did approve a settlement offer at Tuesdays meeting. And that the documents have not been executed."
Barnes has been involved in recent Atlanta protests and unrest surrounding police conduct in Ferguson and other incidents.
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