A Georgia superior court judge has ruled that a railroad company can seize the land of a Black farming couple .
Blaine and Diane Smith had previously filed a petition against Sandersville Railroad Company after the Georgia Public Commission approved the company’s request to seize their land for a rail line project in Hancock County. The new project, known as Hanson Spur, aims to create an industrial rail line to transport construction materials and agricultural products.
Proponents of the project argue the rail line will reduce truck traffic on local roads and produce economic benefits for the county. The Smiths’ land was seized under eminent domain, a legal principle that allows government entities to take private property for public use. The farming couple argued that their land wasn’t being used for the public but rather for the benefit of private companies…