News
News

Rick Warren sentenced to 30 days in jail

Buckhead speculator Rick Warren was sentenced Tuesday for housing code violations. JONATHAN PHILLIPS / SPECIAL
Buckhead speculator Rick Warren was sentenced Tuesday for housing code violations. JONATHAN PHILLIPS / SPECIAL
By
Oct 20, 2015

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.

ExploreRead the complete story and comments from Mayor Reed here.

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.

Follow Willoughby Mariano on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

On April 8, 1974, in Atlanta, Hank Aaron smashed baseball’s home run record. Our special coverage celebrating the 50th anniversary of this magical moment has begun online and in our print editions. There’s still more to come as Monday’s historic anniversary arrives.

Credit: Richard Watkins

Illustration for AJC honors Hank Aaron back in the glittering lights

Illustration for AJC honors Hank Aaron back in the glittering lights

‘Digital is real time, print is lifetime’: Farewells to the paper AJC

From the sound of the presses to framing special front pages, those who helped build the AJC share their memories.

PSC won’t delay key Georgia Power vote after Democrats’ election wins

The Georgia Public Service Commission has rejected a bid to delay a key vote on whether to allow Georgia Power to execute a historic expansion of its generation fleet.

The Latest

In 1993, Atlanta had two city papers, The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution. The newsrooms merged years earlier, but they didn't become The Atlanta Journal-Constitution until 2001. (AJC 1993)

‘Digital is real time, print is lifetime’: Farewells to the paper AJC

LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’: Fire and Ice: The Joy Goddess of Harlem

PSC won’t delay key Georgia Power vote after Democrats’ election wins

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

With some solar power tax breaks expiring, Georgians rush to catch the sun

Georgia solar installers say they’re seeing a surge of customers trying to install rooftop solar systems before federal tax credits go away at the end of the year.

‘Automatic for the People’: Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.