News

Judge halts release of Tony Pope, Pat Reid

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE (10/29 10 a.m.): An appellate court judge has issued a stay on Judge Cynthia Becker's ruling. The ruling puts a hold on the release of Tony Pope and Pat Reid.

The DeKalb County district attorney wants to stop a judge's order to reverse the sentences of Tony Pope and Pat Reid in the DeKalb County schools construction scandal.

Channel 2's Mark Winne says the district attorney filed an emergency motion for a stay of the orders Tuesday morning, less than a day after Judge Cynthia Becker ordered their immediate release and reversal of their convictions.

Both were convicted in a DeKalb County school construction scandal last year. Former Superintendent Crawford Lewis testified during the trial. In her order, Becker noted a “lack of complete and truthful" testimony in nine specific areas from Lewis.
Becker told Winne on Tuesday, "I did my job." By phone, also on Tuesday, Lewis told Winne he stands by the truthfulness of his testimony and he always has.
Now, the DA's office wants a hold on all action in the case.

Reid's defense attorney, Tony Adam, told Winne the judge's order technically means both Reid and Pope can be retried, but the prosecution has a big problem now that Becker says Lewis, a key witness, lacks credibility. Adam says that finding will make it difficult for the prosecution to use him as a witness in a retrial.

Reid was serving a 15-year sentence, and Pope was serving an 8-year sentence. 

Lewis was accused of knowingly signing off on a scheme in which DeKalb schools' Chief Operating Officer Patricia Pope, now Pat Reid, funneled work to her architect husband, Tony Pope. Prosecutors said the fraudulent payments totaled more than $2.3 million.

WSBTV

0

Most Read