The formerly married couple who were convicted of manipulating DeKalb County school system construction contracts should be released on bail, according to a ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals.
The Friday ruling said Pat Reid, the school system's former construction chief, and her architect ex-husband, Tony Pope, are entitled to "reasonable bail" while an appeal is pending.
A jury found Reid and Pope guilty of racketeering in November 2013, and Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker sentenced them to 15 years and eight years, respectively. They’ve served nearly a year into their sentences, and bail would be granted only after a court hearing.
Becker had granted them new trials in October after she said believed that former DeKalb Superintendent Crawford Lewis had testified untruthfully against them.
The Georgia Court of Appeals then put Becker's decision on hold because she didn't have jurisdiction.
The bail hearing for Reid and Pope will have to be heard by a different judge because Becker recused herself, according to the Georgia Court of Appeals. The case has been reassigned to DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Gregory Adams, and he has scheduled a Dec. 1 bond hearing.
Becker's handling of the case is under investigation by the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission, and she plans to resign March 1 because she's engaged to be married.
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