Should Beverly Hall stand trial in APS case?
Andrew Young’s outburst in court last week brought the question front and center: since she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, should Beverly Hall be required to stand trial in the Atlanta schools test-cheating case, or should she be left alone to deal with her illness?
The judge in the case, who had to decide whether to eject Young from his court or let him have his say, decided to delay the trial of the former superintendent and her codefendants until August, but the debate continued through the weekend.
Said the Rev. Timothy McDonald: “She is terminally ill. She is going to die. A trial will only accelerate her death. Let this go.”
Said Mike Bowers, who helped lead the special state investigation into the cheating scandal: “Anybody who wants to sweep that under the rug should be ashamed of himself. I pray for her, I really do. But that doesn’t relieve anyone from being held accountable before the law.”
Subscribers may read the full story on myajc.com. Also available are a transcript of the sometimes testy exchange between Young and Judge Jerry Baxter and a related article on one person's very visceral reaction to the hearing.
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.
