Former APS Superintendent and Others Post Bail, Maintain Innocence

Hall arrived at about 7 p.m. Her team of attorneys, including former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan, escorted her to the jail’s entrance. Hall stayed silent as reporters swarmed around her.

A grand jury originally recommended Hall’s bond be set at $7.5 million. Her attorneys were able to negotiate that down to $200,000.

While Hall was being processed, Morgan spoke to reporters and said the initial bond amount was excessive.

“I haven’t seen that in cases of genocide,” said Morgan. “The bond that we have now, that the [District Attorney’s] office agreed to, is very reasonable considering there’s been no violent crime, there’s been no prior history or anything like that.”

Hall was released on bond a few hours after turning herself in.

Morgan wouldn’t get into the facts of the case, but in a phone interview with WABE before Hall turned herself in, he said his client plans to defend her innocence vigorously.

“We are adamant that she did not participate in any wrongdoing and knew nothing of any wrongdoing as well.”

Other indicted APS officials won similar bond reductions as Hall. The bond amount for Sandra Ward, formerly of Parks Middle School, was reduced from $1 million to $50,000.

Outside the jail, many of the defendants and their attorneys ignored requests for comment from reporters. Others were hostile when confronted with the cameras and microphones.

“This matter will be tried and dealt with in the public forum of a courtroom. Not in the media,” said attorney Derick Jones. “The fact that there is this circus here over this just shows there’s something wrong.”

The indictment claims Hall and others were part of a widespread conspiracy to inflate standardized  test scores. Teachers and administrators allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in performance bonuses as a result of the cheating.

In the days ahead, Hall and the other defendants will be scheduled for arraignment, after which they’ll get access to discovery. The Fulton District Attorney has not yet scheduled a date for that.

*As of 11:05 p.m., 27 of the 35 indicted APS officials have turned themselves in. They are:

1. Dr. Beverly Hall (released on bond)
2. Ms. Sandra Ward (released on bond)
3. Ms. Wendy Ahmed (released on bond)
4. Ms. Sheila Evans(released on bond)
5. Ms. Carol Dennis (released on bond)
6. Mr. Gregory Reid (released on bond)
7. Ms. Angela Williamson (released on bond)
8. Ms. Theresia Copeland (released on bond)
9. Dr. Tameka Goodson (released on bond)
10. Dr. Sharon Davis-Williams
11. Mr. Michael Pitts
12. Ms. Tamara Cotman
13. Mr. Christopher Waller
14. Mr. Armstead Salters
15. Ms. Tabeeka Jordan
16. Ms. Francis Mack
17. Mr. Sheridan Rogers
18. Mr. Donald Bullock
19. Ms. Starlette Mitchell
20. Ms. Shayla Smith
21. Ms. Dessa Curb
22. Mr. Derrick Broadwater
23. Ms. Pameal Cleveland
24. Ms. Shani Robinson
25. Ms. Gloria Ivey
26. Ms. Lisa Terry
27. Ms. Ingrid Abella-Sly