May 5, 2015 • Posted In Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Trial
Atlanta criminal defense attorney Sanford (Sandy) Wallack successfully defends accused in Atlanta Public Schools cheating trial
ATLANTA – MAY 2015 – On March 29, 2013, 35 former Atlanta Public School educators were indicted for conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act and various other offenses including false statements and writings, false swearing, influencing witnesses and theft by taking.
Twenty-one of those charged pled guilty prior to trial through negotiated plea agreements. Twelve defendants proceeded to a highly publicized trial, which commenced with jury selection on August 11, 2014. On April 1, 2015, 11 of the 12 educators standing trial were convicted. Only a single one of those originally charged in the case was acquitted of all charges: Dessa Curb, represented by Atlanta criminal defense attorney Sandy Wallack.
“I had been given a handful of attorney suggestions through my union,” says Ms. Curb. “When I looked into Sandy and met with him, I knew he would do the best job. He promised me he would work hard to prove my innocence and do everything he could, and I could just tell he would.” Prior to and throughout the trial, Ms. Curb had Sandy by her side to help her understand everything that was happening. “There were so many confusing parts and sometimes I didn’t understand what was going on, but he was there to explain everything to me and help me understand. He was incredibly dedicated to helping me. He was my gift from God.”
Ms. Curb was equally impressed with the depth of Sandy’s legal knowledge. “He knew the law. In fact, there were several times where the other defendants’ attorneys would come to him for information and he was always prepared to assist them.”
Sandy is elated for his client. “We knew she was innocent of all charges, but given the media attention, we also understood that many would pass judgment without knowing all the facts,” says Sandy. “It was important that we clearly present Ms. Curb’s case so that the court would recognize she should not be judged based on the actions of others around her.”
