Two jurors from the Atlanta school cheating case said the defendants should have pleaded guilty and avoided the lengthy trial and potential prison time.

In an exclusive interview Thursday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, George Little, who was foreman of the high-profile jury, and another juror, Raquel Sabogal said the guilty educators, who are scheduled to be sentenced Monday, could already be back to their lives.

“The defendants in jail right now had a chance not to go and some are paying the penalty for what [former Superintendent Beverly] Hall did,” Little said.

They pointed to Millicent Few, the former APS human resources director, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor malfeasance and has completed her 12 months on probation.

“She’s walking around today,” Little said. “And we have teachers going to jail.”