#FreeMahendraPatel
UPDATE: Mahendra’s bond hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. Join us as we peacefully protest and show our support.
Please show your allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law by being present Tuesday, May 6th, at 11AM on the steps of the Cobb County Superior Court, 70 Haynes St.
We will be wearing YELLOW in Courtroom 6400 6th floor. Judge Gregory Poole.
This is a peaceful and SILENT show of support. We will not disrupt the proceedings as that risks expulsion from the courtroom and/or arrest. We do not need anyone else in jail. We need Mr. Patel's freedom.
We are seeking at least 100 attendees to support Mr. Patel at his bond hearing. Join Indivisible Acworth and other local organizations in solidarity. Show up for Mr. Patel. Show up for the rule of law and due process. Show up for the Constitution.
Rules: Wear yellow. Sit silently. No signs. Be peaceful. Be seen.
In mid-March, Mahendra Patel — a respected member of our community and devoted father, husband, and son — was wrongfully accused of attempting to kidnap a child; when, in fact, he merely tried to prevent a child from falling out of a motorized shopping cart — a natural and compassionate reaction that any reasonable person would have had in the same situation — while shopping for Tylenol at his local Walmart for his 86-year old mother. Here is the security footage that shows Mahendra’s interaction at Walmart.
He has been wrongfully detained in jail in Cobb County, GA for over a month and we are calling for his immediate release.
Sign the Change.org petition and click the buttons below to reach out to officials in Georgia who can help push for Mahendra’s release.
Donations to Mahendra’s family for his legal defense can be made here.
Click the buttons to load the text into an email. Letters to Sen. Warnock, Sen. Ossoff, and Rep. Loudermilk will require coping and pasting the text into a form on their websites (accessible via the buttons). Please send any suggested edits/comments through the contact form at the bottom of this website.
Form Letter Text:
Dear [Official]:
I am writing to you with deep concern and urgency regarding the wrongful arrest of Mahendra Patel, a case that demands immediate action. He has been wrongfully detained in Cobb County jail for over a month and we are calling for his immediate release.
In March, Mahendra, a respected member of our community and devoted father, husband, and son, was wrongfully accused of kidnapping when he merely tried to prevent a child from falling out of a motorized shopping cart - a natural and compassionate reaction that any reasonable person would have had in the same situation. Security footage from Walmart clearly shows that Mahendra was respectful and only trying to be helpful (link: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/acworth-walmart-kidnapping-attempt-video-may-proves-mans-innocence). He should not be punished for being a Good Samaritan.
As an elected representative, you are able to help ensure that no citizen is wrongfully accused or subjected to undue harm. The evidence in Mr. Patel's case is undeniable, and yet the system has failed him at every turn.
I am calling on you to publicly demand the immediate release of Mahendra and to take action to ensure that the charges against him are dropped.
The people of Georgia deserve better than a broken system that allows injustice to prevail. Your leadership in this matter is critical, and we will not rest until Mahendra is fully exonerated.
Thank you for your time and your service. I trust that you will take immediate action to correct this grave injustice.
Very Truly Yours,
[Name]