APS judge lifts order barring story
A Fulton County judge in the Atlanta Public Schools test-cheating trial lifted a ruling on Monday that prohibited the news media from publishing a story about a trial witness receiving an anonymous threat because of his testimony.
Judge Jerry Baxter issued his ruling before news media lawyers made their arguments, saying he realized an order he signed Friday was in error.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard had asked Baxter on Friday to restrain Fox 5 Atlanta and other news media from airing a story about the threat. Lawyers for Fox 5 and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution were present at the hastily called hearing before the start of testimony.
In an interview with the AJC on Saturday, Reginal Dukes, a private investigator who previously testified at the trial, said he had received an anonymous threat about his testimony.
“There was a threat,” Dukes said. “I don’t think there’s anything to it, but you just don’t know. It’s being investigated. The District Attorney’s Office is looking into it because I’m a witness.”
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.
