Decatur, GA — Nearly four years ago, in 2018, the Java Monkey — a popular Decatur coffee shop – burned to the ground.

On June 28, the man accused of starting the fire is getting his day in court.

Rickey Thomas is accused of being a disgruntled employee who burned the shop down after getting fired from his job. His defense, led by Adam Petty, argues that the state has no evidence to show his client committed his crime, saying their case relies on a fragment of video footage that allegedly shows Thomas. It does not, however, show the crime being committed.

Decaturish will be posting updates throughout the day for our paying subscribers who have joined our private Slack channel. To become a paying subscriber, sign up at supportmylocalnews.com

 If you appreciate our work, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $6 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community. To become a supporter, click here. 

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.