A special prosecutor Thursday presented evidence that a former DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker allegedly didn’t tell the truth when Judicial Qualifications Commission officials questioned her about her handling of the sentencing of DeKalb’s one-time school superintendent Crawford Lewis.
Special prosecutor Parks White is expected to return another day — possibly Thursday — to finish presenting the case. Parks, the district attorney for five northeast Georgia counties, was assigned to present the case when Cobb’s DA recused himself.
White left the Cobb County courthouse complex mid-afternoon Thursday, refusing to comment on what had happened in the secret proceedings. There also was no comment from any of the three witnesses who testified before the grand jury — a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, Lewis’ defense attorney Mike Brown or Jeff Davis, the former executive director of the JQC.
Becker's attorney Brian Steel declined comment on the proceedings when contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Becker is suspected of giving false information when she was questioned Sept. 8 in the Marietta law office of commission member Robert Ingram. She is accused of not answering truthfully on whether there was discussion of setting an appeal bond when she sent Lewis to jail, contrary to a plea agreement for probation.
Becker's retirement in March came just as the JQC was starting its investigation into her handling of the Lewis case almost two years ago.
Faced with felony racketeering charges and the possibility of up to 65 years in prison, Lewis had pleaded guilty t0 misdemeanor obstruction of an investigation into DeKalb school construction and agreed to testify against his former co-defendants.
In exchange, DeKalb prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of 12 months on probation. Lewis’ former co-defendants — Pat Reid, the school district’s former chief operating officer, and Reid’s ex-husband, architect Tony Pope — were both convicted and are in prison.
But Becker said Lewis had not been truthful in his testimony and she refused to honor the probation deal.
Over the next few days, Lewis’ lawyer, Mike Brown, filed motions, including one asking for bond while Lewis appealed.
Becker refused to set bond until a hearing set for the next week and then she left town to attend the Army-Navy game.
Lewis spent four days in jail until the Georgia Court of Appeals ordered that a bond be set so he could be released while he appealed Becker’s sentence. Another DeKalb County judge set the bond because Becker was still out of town.
Becker told the JQC Lewis never asked for a bond.
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