# Civil rights suit by Georgia death row prisoners revived by federal judges – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

> A federal appeals court has revived a civil rights lawsuit by three Georgia death row prisoners who allege unequal treatment under a 2021 state agreement. The agreement, which protects nine prisoners …

**Published**: 2026-07-01
**Source**: https://gps.press/gps-news/civil-rights-suit-by-georgia-death-row-prisoners-revived-by-federal-judges-atlanta-journal-constitution/
**Author**: Georgia Prisoners' Speak

---

A federal appeals court has revived a civil rights lawsuit by three Georgia death row prisoners who allege unequal treatment under a 2021 state agreement. The agreement, which protects nine prisoners from execution until certain pandemic-related conditions are met, did not extend to Lyndon Pace, Jerry Heidler, and Warren King, who were still appealing their detention at the time. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the three prisoners can sue the state over this disparity. The case centers on claims that the Georgia Department of Corrections violated the prisoners' rights by denying them the same protections afforded to others on death row.