Trial was delayed Tuesday for the Buckhead real estate investor facing possible jail time over charges of hazardous conditions at properties in struggling Atlanta neighborhoods.
Rick Warren’s attorney George Lawson argued that he was entitled to more preparation time because of new evidence and a last-minute change to a citation for the Rome Drive property at the center of the case. Municipal Judge Crystal Gaines said she was not convinced that he needed more time, but re-scheduled the trial for July 28th “in an abundance of caution,” she said.
Warren owns some 150 properties in and around the English Avenue neighborhood, which lies just west of the $1.4 billion construction of a new Falcons stadium. A 2014 Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found that many were derelict and bred filth and crime. Residents complained that the properties undermined their efforts to revive the neighborhood.
Local leaders promised to revitalize English Avenue and nearby neighborhoods as part of stadium construction, which is backed by public money. Mayor Kasim Reed has vowed to bring Warren to justice.
The citation at issue during Tuesday’s proceedings was issued to Warren and included the name of R City, a company that the investor previously told the AJC that he owns. The Rome Drive house is owned by a different company, West Star Holdings, according to Fulton County property records. The citation was recently amended to remove R City’s name.
The new evidence included corporate documents for West Star Holdings.
Warren has been tried on conditions at two other properties since May, but Gaines has yet to announce verdicts for either case. A conviction would mean jail time because of Warren's prior housing code violations.
About the Author
Willoughby Mariano is an investigative reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she focuses on housing and criminal justice issues. She previously worked for the AJC's PolitiFact Georgia, where she fact checked the claims of elected officials, and at the Orlando Sentinel, where she covered crime and breaking news.
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