Jeanine Echols says she wanted the best schools for her three kids.The city of Marietta says it wanted Echols to live in the city or pay the school system that educates her children.
The clash led prosecutors to file 16 felony charges against Echols, alleging that she lied about where she lived so her children could attend Marietta
Echols faced up to 80 years in prison, but jurors in Cobb County found her not guilty of all charges Friday.
"It's been a long journey," Echols said. "I'm just glad it's over."
Rick Malone, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, said that in 30 years, he had never heard of a similar case in which someone was charged with swearing to false documents, a felony that could trigger time in prison.
District Attorney Pat Head of Cobb County said his office wanted Echols to pay $6,400 restitution not go to prison. Echols' attorney, Vic Reynolds, said Echols didn't intend to dupe anyone or avoid paying tuition.
While the Echols case is unusual because of the severity of the charges, more school administrators and prosecutors around metro Atlanta are cracking down on parents who lie about their address so their children can attend a certain school.
This from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Photo by Andy Sharp/AJC
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