Educators Convicted of Cheating in Atlanta Hope for Bond

Former APS SRT Director Sharon Davis Williams is led to a holding cell following her conviction on Violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act charges Wednesday. A jury of six men and six women rendered their verdicts on the eighth day of deliberations in the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating trial on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Jurors sorted through roughly five months of testimony against 12 former educators accused of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy to inflate test scores. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kent D. Johnson, Pool)

Ten out of the 11 former Atlanta Public Schools educators found guilty of racketeering and other charges were still in jail Thursday awaiting news about the possibility they may be released on bond.

Almost immediately after the guilty verdicts were read Wednesday by a Fulton County jury, the former educators were handcuffed and taken into custody. In dramatic images seen around the world, the educators removed jewelry and handed personal belongings to their attorneys and loved ones before being led away in handcuffs to jail to await sentencing, which will come in the next couple of weeks.

One guilty defendant, Shani Robinson, is in her final months of pregnancy and was not in court as the verdicts were read. She will be sentenced in August on a yet-to-be released date. The defendants will be sentenced April 13 at 10 a.m.

Only former Dobbs Elementary School teacher, Dessa Curb, was acquitted of all charges.

The conspiracy charge was the most serious and could bring sentences up to 20 years. The educators were taken into custody right after the verdicts were read.

The jury returned a mix of guiltys and not guiltys on the remaining felony charges, such as making false statements, for the other 11.

Click here to read more

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution |