Politics
Politics

Settlement expected in public defender suit

By Bill Rankin
Dec 14, 2011

A trial scheduled to begin Thursday involving a lawsuit against the state public defender system has been taken off the court's calendar because a potential settlement has been reached, said plaintiffs' lawyer Gerry Weber of the Southern Center for Human Rights.

The suit was filed in 2009 on behalf of inmates who said they could not challenge their convictions on appeal because the state had not spent enough money to provide lawyers to represent them. A Fulton County judge had previously ordered the state to provide counsel to the indigent inmates.

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.

Follow Bill Rankin on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, shown here being interviewed for the “Politically Georgia” podcast in February, has emerged as one of the most forceful GOP critics of President Donald Trump and his allies. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Trump-Greene split: A MAGA divorce with Georgia implications

The messy public breakup between President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene marks the collapse of an alliance that has helped define MAGA politics.

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.

OPINION

Jon Ossoff warned about deepfakes. Now he is one.

A Mike Collins campaign video uses AI to make Sen. Jon Ossoff say outlandish things. A proposed state law would rein in such uses of AI in campaigns.

The Latest

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, shown here being interviewed for the “Politically Georgia” podcast in February, has emerged as one of the most forceful GOP critics of President Donald Trump and his allies. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Trump-Greene split: A MAGA divorce with Georgia implications

Georgia’s election interference case against Trump: How we got here

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

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.