Mother Not Guilty Of Lying In School Case
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1012839205.jpg|width="120" height="88" alt=""|_##]A jury found a Georgia mother not guilty of lying about where her family lives so her children could attend Marietta city schools. Prosecutors said Jeanine Echols repeatedly lied to school officials, WSB-TV in Atlanta reported. Echols told jurors Thursday that she never meant to deceive the Marietta school district. She said she only placed her three kids in city schools because her family lived in the area, WSB-TV reported.
"We had family in place that could make sure they got to the bus, they were picked up. So if I worked late, I didn’t have to worry about my child," she said.
Echols said her three children excelled in school. In fact, she had attended two awards ceremonies for two of her children days before deputies came knocking on her door.
"The very next day, May 18, I was arrested, and I sat in jail for over five hours. I had never seen the inside of a jail," said Echols.
But in closing statements, prosecutors said Echols signed legal documents seven times saying her family lived at addresses in the city when in fact the family did not.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a lie is a lie, and our law says when you lie to the government, you have committed a crime," said assistant district attorney Grady Moore.
Echols' defense attorney, however, called the 16 felony charges overkill. They asked jurors to send a message that prosecutors had gone too far.
"She wanted her children to get a good quality education in a situation where they would not be latch-key children, where they would not have to come home alone, where they would not have to have a baby sitter, where they would not have to have day care, where their family would be responsible and take care of them," said attorney Vic Reynolds.
Related listings
-
Men Accused of Killings Plead Not Guilty
Court Alerts 05/18/2007[##_1L|1313965735.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]Two men accused of killing a couple and their three young sons and setting their home on fire pleaded not guilty Thursday to new charges in a 49-count indictment. Mark Serrano, 29, and Charles ...
-
Wife of former investment guru pleads guilty
Court Alerts 05/17/2007[##_1L|1043688406.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]The wife of former investment guru, author and financial seminar leader Wade Cook pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to obstruction of justice. In her plea agreement, 54-yea...
-
US court examines 'enemy combatant' procedures
Court Alerts 05/16/2007[##_1L|1092388436.jpg|width="150" height="107" alt=""|_##]A US appeals court examined Tuesday the procedures of a military panel that determines whether a Guantanamo prison camp detainee should be branded an "enemy combatant." The three federal court...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .