DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced Monday she’s dropping criminal charges against former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis, bringing an end to the long-running case.
Boston decided against moving forward with a retrial after the Georgia Supreme Court threw out Ellis' conviction Nov. 30.
“It is time to close this chapter and move forward,” Boston said. “This case is closed.”
DeKalb Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson signed an order to dismiss the charges Monday, Boston said.
A jury had found Ellis guilty in July 2015 of trying to shake down a county contractor for campaign contributions, but the state's highest court found he had been denied a fair trial.
Ellis served an eight-month prison sentence for his convictions of attempted extortion and perjury.
He always maintained he was innocent and said the Georgia Supreme Court brought justice to the case.
“We are very pleased with the district attorney’s decision to dismiss the charges against Mr. Ellis,” said his attorney, Craig Gillen. “It is the just and fair thing to do. The four-year nightmare for Burrell and his family is finally over.”
Ellis was suspended from office from the time the charges were brought in July 2013 until the Georgia Supreme Court overturned the conviction. His initial trial ended with a hung jury, and he was found guilty after a second trial.
He briefly returned to office for the last few days of his four-year term in December. Newly elected DeKalb CEO Mike Thurmond took over Jan. 1.
Boston became the county's top prosecutor after winning election last year against former District Attorney Robert James, who brought the case against Ellis.
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