Judge to reconsider stiffest prison terms in Atlanta test-cheating case

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - A judge is expected on Thursday to reevaluate the prison terms for the three former Atlanta public school administrators who received the harshest punishments after being convicted in a test cheating scandal. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter has not indicated why he ordered the new sentencing hearing for the educators but could reduce their seven-year prison terms. Former area directors Tamara Cotman, Sharon Davis-Williams and Michael Pitts were the three highest-ranking school officials found guilty this month on conspiracy charges spurred by a state investigation that uncovered widespread cheating in the Georgia city's schools on 2009 standardized tests. Their attorneys have decried their sentences as unjust and too severe for non-violent offenders. One defense lawyer connected to the case predicted Baxter could lower their prison terms to three years each, the sentence the judge had initially suggested might be appropriate before later delivering the harsher, seven-year terms. Keith Adams, whose client is not among the three called for re-sentencing on Thursday, said Baxter had been angry at the original hearing after eight of the convicted educators refused plea deals that included only weekends in jail. Baxter had warned the educators they would face harsher sentences if they rejected the plea deals, but some still did, in part because they did not want to give up their right to appeal their convictions, their attorneys said. “The judge flew off the handle,” Adams said. Attorneys for the three area directors could not be reached for comment ahead of Thursday's hearing. The district attorney’s office also did not respond to a request for comment. On April 14, five other convicted educators were sentenced to one or two years in prison. A total of 35 Atlanta educators, including former school superintendent Beverly Hall, were indicted in 2013 on conspiracy and other charges. Twelve went on trial, and 11 were convicted after nearly six months of proceedings. Hall died of breast cancer this year. The last educator found guilty is due to be sentenced in August. (Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Susan Heavey)