USA Today – Duffie Dixon
“Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard has offered convicted Atlanta Public Schools educators last-minute deals that would keep them out of prison, but it was unclear Monday whether defendants will agree to the matter. The sentencing hearing for 10 of 11 convicted Atlanta Public Schools former teachers and administrators broke for the day in early afternoon after almost four hours of friends and relatives’ testimony recalling the defendants’ great faith and asking for leniency. They have been in jail since they were convicted April 1 on racketeering charges for their roles in inflating students’ standardized-test scores. “I don’t think you have any great bargaining in any of this,” said Judge Jerry Baxter of Fulton County Superior Court shortly before he recessed the hearing and urged the defendants to accept the deals. “I’ve got a fair sentence in my mind, and it involves going to jail — everybody.” During the sentencing hearing, some of the witnesses had called the convictions unjust, but the judge said his opinion was that the trial had no errors.”(more)