Rick Warren sentenced to 30 days in jail
This story has been corrected to reflect that Warren’s sentences run concurrently for 30 days.
With Mayor Kasim Reed looking on, Buckhead speculator Rick Warren was sentenced to 30 days in jail for housing code violations in Atlanta Municipal Court Tuesday.
Judge Crystal Gaines sentenced Warren on three counts of failure to adequately maintain properties he controlled around English Avenue, an in-town Atlanta neighborhood that has long suffered from neglected homes owned by absentee landlords.
Warren, who controlled about 10 percent of properties around English Avenue, won’t be heading to jail just yet. He remains free on bond while his case is on appeal.
Each count carried a 30-day sentence; all three to be served concurrently, Judge Gaines ruled. Prosecutors had sought a 120-day sentence on the three counts, asking for 60-day penalties for each count, two of which they asked to be concurrent.
About the Author
Willoughby Mariano is an investigative reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she focuses on housing and criminal justice issues. She previously worked for the AJC's PolitiFact Georgia, where she fact checked the claims of elected officials, and at the Orlando Sentinel, where she covered crime and breaking news.
