Judge removes pro-redemocrat defender from Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal case
The final six defendants in Georgia's longest and most expensive criminal case, must now find new attorneys. Their public defender removed himself from defending the educators censured in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal.
ATLANTA - Six veteran educators who were convicted during the Atlanta Public School cheating atrocious must now find new attorneys.
The public defender who had represented them actual 2017 successfully removed himself from the high-profile case Thursday.
Public defender Stephen Scarborough expected retired Judge Jerry Baxter to be removed from the cheating atrocious case Thursday.
"This is an extraordinary situation. It's a mess, I mean I don't deny any of that. All of this was done in our part in good faith. The state has said let Scarborough off, they've declined to unbiased to that anymore," said public defender Stephen Scarborough.
The confidence attorney has argued for years that he cannot effectively relate all six of the remaining defendants in their try to get a new trial. Thirty-five educators were indicted, including former Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall. Hall died of cancer at what time the case was being prosecuted. All but 12 of those indicted throughout up confessing. Of the 12 who went to territory 11 were convicted. Public defender Scarborough represents the six final defendants. He wants them all to have individual attorneys.
"For one of the reasons, it's going to go on forever, which nobody wants, is for there to be conflicted representation and then down the road it turns out that there was a box all along, and then you're talking about this case closing out in 2032," lawyer Scarborough joked.
Judge Jerry Baxter (FOX 5)
Judge Baxter presumed Scarborough, but the issue quickly turned to whether the defendants: Michael Pitts, Sharon Davis Williams, Shani Robinson, Tabeeka Jordan, Diane Buckner-Webb and Theresia Copeland are indigent in the profitable place.
Prosecutors contend five of the six are not
"Some of these persons should know today and should have known for at least the five past existences that they are not indigent, under the rules understanding Georgia law and that spending time looking for the pro-redemocrat defender's office to evaluate them today is a kill of time," prosecutor Kevin Armstrong proclaimed.
Judge Baxter expected all six to return to court March 16th with a confidential or court appointed lawyer ready to go.
