Former Governor Takes Stand in Trial Against Atlanta Educator

August 26th, 2013

The prosecution continued to lay out the details as to why the state had to conduct an investigation in the first place.

The first person on the stand was former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue.

Becoming emotional, Purdue testified as to why he signed an executive order to pursue the cheating. Perdue was asked if there was a political agenda involved as to why he kept pushing for an investigation.

The former Republican governor said no and even lost friendships over it.

Perdue said the only way to get to the truth was to involve the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.WABE's Denis O'Hayer and Rose Scott discuss day two of the Cotman trial.

Stacey Smith taught third grade at Usher-Collier Heights Elementary School. She was just into her teaching career.

Today a tearful Smith told the court about the pressure to meet targets based on the CRCT exam.

Smith talked about her involvement.Stacey Smith describes how she changed student's answers on the 2009 CRCT.

Why did she cheat? Fulton County’s Chief Senior Assistant Clint Rucker asked Smith.Stacey Smith responds to a question from the state as to why she changed test answers.

Cotman’s attorney, Benjamin Davis, asked Stacey Smith to confirm she was given immunity by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Smith said yes. She did not testify that Tamara Cotman personally pressured her, but rather to the pressure from Donald Bullock, the school’s testing coordinator.