Judge Reduces Three Heavy Prison Sentences In Atlanta Cheating Case.

Judge Reduces Three Heavy Prison Sentences In Atlanta Cheating Case.

 

The New York Times (5/1, Subscription Publication) reports that Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter has reduced the prison sentences of three former Atlanta administrators convicted in the city’s cheating scandal from seven to three years, “admitting that he was ‘not comfortable’” with the longer sentences. The article briefly describes the course of the trial, noting that Baxter “did not elaborate at length Thursday on his reason for changing the sentences.”

        The Washington Post (4/30) reports that the move was unusual, and notes that while he “reduced their fines from $25,000 to $10,000...he maintained the requirement for 2,000 hours of community service.” The Post notes that the original sentence was “far longer than prosecutors had sought and longer than many violent criminals serve,” sparking controversy. Baxter also called on the former educators to “begin their community service now instead of waiting for their appeals to play out.”

        The AP (5/1, Brumback) reports that the three had the heaviest sentences from the trial, and were “the highest-ranking of the 11 former educators convicted of racketeering.”

        The Los Angeles Times (4/30) and Reuters (4/30) also cover this story

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