The former head of DeKalb County’s school construction and her architect ex-husband were taken into custody — again — Tuesday while issues around their 2013 racketeering convictions are debated.

Pat Reid, who oversaw the district’s construction program, and Tony Pope, who had a number of construction contracts when he was married to Reid, were just released from prison in December by the previous judge in the case. Former Judge Cynthia Becker decided last year the two were convicted of racketeering based on false testimony by former school Superintendent Crawford Lewis.

The court of appeals decided Becker, who retired earlier this year, was wrong and sent the case back to DeKalb Superior Court and to a new judge, Gregory A. Adams.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)