In the month since the last Hall Monitor update, not much has occurred in regard to the APS cheating trials. Trials like this, on such a large scale and with so many defendants, proceed slowly.

In August, 34 defendants presented a Garrity motion (which involves the defense claiming that the evidence acquired by the prosecutors to indict the APS officials was gathered unjustly) to the Georgia Court of Appeals. The motion is still being reviewed by the court, which will decide whether or not they will hear the appeal before the trial (appeals are usually heard after the trial, but the Garrity motion is a special circumstance; explained in depth in the last Hall Monitor update). Willie Davenport, one of these 34 defendants, passed away due to breast cancer. Davenport was the principal of D.H. Stanton Elementary School until she was indicted in the cheating scandal.

Richard Deane, an attorney from Jones Day, the firm representing Beverly Hall, also recently released to the press that Hall has breast cancer. The press release from her attorneys says that Hall still plans to proceed with trial and hopes for an acquittal. The release, however, failed to mention the severity of Hall’s cancer, saying that, “As a matter of her personal privacy, Dr. Hall does not choose to say more.”

Don Samuel, one of the defentants’ attorneys, explained the effect that this could have on the cases. He said the announcement of Hall’s condition may motivate the prosecutors to move forward more quickly because they want to try her before she becomes too ill to stand trial. It could also make her case easier to resolve because she may be given a plea deal now, whereas before the District Attorney would have tried to prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. This could also make it harder for the other defendants to get lighter sentences, he said.