Kendrick Johnson family files $10B lawsuit against federal judges

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The parents of Kendrick Lamar Johnson have filed a $10 billion federal lawsuit against the very court system they claim is protecting those responsible for their son's death. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson allege that federal judges in the Northern District of Georgia joined an ongoing conspiracy to cover up the 2013 "premeditated murder" of the Valdosta teenager.

Accusations of ‘racketeering’

What we know:

The lawsuit, filed March 3, 2026, names Chief Judge Leigh Martin May, Judge Sarah Elisabeth Geraghty, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia as defendants. The Johnsons claim these judges acted with a "clear absence of jurisdiction" to assist local and state authorities, including the GBI and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, in a "racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO)" aimed at hiding the truth about their son's death. The complaint specifically points to "materially false, fraudulent, and felonious" orders entered by the judges to dismiss previous cases without due process.

A cover-up?

What they're saying:

The complaint uses sharp language to describe the alleged judicial interference. It states that the defendants were "joined at the hip with and members of a racketeering influenced corrupt organization that covered up the murder of Kendrick Johnson." Regarding the school resource officer's initial report, the lawsuit notes Kendrick’s face "was severely disfigured and swollen," with the officer stating, "The only identifying feature to the victim that I observed was the long dreadlocks."

The death of Kendrick Johnson

The backstory:

Kendrick Johnson was found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes County High School in January 2013. While local and state authorities ruled the death an accidental "positional asphyxia," the Johnsons have long maintained their son was murdered. The new complaint highlights evidence from an FBI case file indicating an investigator told a coroner "that an autopsy was not needed because the death was an accident" before a full investigation was completed. The family also points to crime scene photographs they say show "severe non-accidental blunt force trauma" and a "skull fracture."

Previous lawsuits

The other side:

In previous proceedings, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and other state defendants have filed motions to dismiss the Johnsons' claims, often citing "eleventh amendment state sovereign immunity." The Johnsons argue these defenses are "without legal merit" and constitute "abusive litigation," especially since a previous dismissal was reversed by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in February 2025.

$10B lawsuit

By the numbers:

• $10 Billion: Total damages sought ($5 billion compensatory, $5 billion punitive).
• 900+ Days: Length of time the family has been in legal proceedings related to these specific civil actions.
• 35 Pages: The length of the federal complaint filed this week.
• 2013: The year Kendrick Johnson’s body was discovered.

Trial pending

What's next:

The Johnsons have requested a jury trial for all questions of fact raised in the complaint. The case is now pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the same court named as a defendant in the action.