A judge ruled Thursday that each of the 35 former Atlanta educators facing criminal charges related to alleged cheating on standardized tests must find their own attorneys.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter said in court that he wants to avoid any conflicts of interest that may occur if one attorney represents multiple defendants.

“What I’m worried about is down the road, if conditions change, that will throw this whole case into a turmoil. I’m just not prepared to take that chance,” Baxter said in court. “Each individual defendant needs to have their own lawyer to look at solely that defendant’s rights.”

Baxter told prosecutors that if they plan to seek indictments against additional educators, they shouldn’t wait too long.

“It’s going to be pretty upsetting to me if midway through the thing others are thrown into the mix,” Baxter said. “It’s going to throw a monkey wrench into it.”

Attorneys for the defendants said there was no conflict of interest in many cases because their clients worked at different schools and didn’t know each other.

They asked Baxter for permission to immediately appeal his decision, and he denied that request.

“I don’t foresee any actual or potential conflicts given that these two teachers are at two different schools and had never met each other until the indictment came down,” said attorney Gerald Griggs, who represents former Parks Middle School teacher Starlette Mitchell and Dobbs Elementary teacher Angela Williamson.

In all, Baxter ruled against four attorneys who each represented two defendants. Those attorneys may continue to represent one defendant each, but the other one must find a new lawyer.

Most of the 35 defendants will appear in court on Friday for arraignments, when they will make pleas of guilty or not guilty. Those who must find new lawyers won’t be arraigned until May 16.

Baxter said he would have been taking too great of a risk to allow attorneys to represent more than one person at a time in a case in which prosecutors claim there was a conspiracy from the top down to alter test scores so they could obtain bonus money and keep their jobs.

“I am gravely concerned, not right at this moment, but down the road, things change, situations change. It could be one of your clients wants to go one way and could end up being a witness in the case. What do I do then?” Baxter asked. “There are all kinds of permutations that come into play.”

Attorney Bob Rubin said requiring separate counsel for the defendants will harm those who he’s been working with over the last year.

“We’ve been working together for the last year,” said Rubin, who represents former D.H. Stanton Elementary Principal Willie Davenport and former Dobbs Elementary Principal Dana Evans. “I’m not aware of any information Dr. Davenport has or Dr. Evans has that’s in conflict with each other.”

The eight defendants who currently share lawyers are former Dunbar Elementary teacher Gloria Ivey, former Dobbs Elementary teacher Dessa Curb, former Dunbar Elementary testing coordinator Lera Middlebrooks, former Venetian Hills Principal Clarietta Davis, Mitchell, Williamson, Davenport and Evans.

Four other defendants represented by attorney George Lawson voluntarily decided to hire separate attorneys before Baxter ruled.

Lawson will continue to represent former Area Superintendent Michael Pitts. His other Atlanta Public Schools clients — former Area Superintendent Sharon Davis-Williams, former Deerwood Academy Assistant Principal Tabeeka Jordan and former Area Superintendent Tamara Cotman — have found new representation.