Education
Education

Judge: APS trial could last six months

By Bill Rankin
Nov 5, 2013

The judge overseeing the massive Atlanta Public Schools racketeering case on Tuesday estimated the trial next year could last as long as six months.

“As far as I’m concerned we’re on schedule,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter said at the outset of a pretrial hearing.

Baxter then said lawyers representing the 34 defendants need to clear their calendars for six months beginning May 5, when the trial is scheduled to begin.

“I’d rather herd the cats now rather than later,” Baxter said, referring to all the attorneys in the case. “I need to have that done.”

Baxter then asked Fani Willis, the lead prosecutor in the case, whether the trial could last up to a year if the state calls as many as 400 witnesses. But Willis said she thought a half year would be enough time.

About the Author

Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.

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