Convicts Pat Reid, Tony Pope to be Released on Bond Until Trial; DeKalb Judge Resigns

An appellate judge ruled that Pat Reid and former husband Tony Pope may be released on bond before their case returns to court, Reid’s defense attorney told WSB-TV on Friday.

The court of appeals’ decision comes in response to an earlier court order from Judge Cynthia Becker. The judge ruled to overturn the pair’s charges and release them from custody on Oct. 27, and prosecutors submitted an emergency request to the appellate court to halt the action.

Becker, who is being investigated for her conduct in this trial, recently announced she plans to step down from her post on March 1, halfway through her four-year term. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Becker cites her upcoming wedding as the reason for her departure.

Her resignation will not impede the ethics investigation, however.

“The council will continue to consider and pursue the complaint, just like we would against any other judge,” Lester Tate, chairman of the Georgia Judicial Qualification Commission, told the AJC on Wednesday. “Nothing about her resignation has changed our procedures.”

Convicted last December for racketeering and theft, former DeKalb County Schools Chief Operating Officer Pat Reid and ex-husband and construction contractor Tony Pope respectively received sentences of 15 and eight years in prison.

Related Links:

• Judge’s Actions Questioned After Charges Reversed in DeKalb Schools Scandal
• DeKalb County Court Puts Hold on Release of Convicts from School Corruption Case

• Jury Selection Continues in DeKalb Schools Racketeering Case
• Convictions in DeKalb Schools Racketeering Trial Thrown Out
• Does Crawford Lewis Deserve Jail Time?

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