Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015
LOCAL
Page 17A
Suspended CEO to face new perjury allegations in retrial
Suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis will have to defend against new perjury allegations during his retrial. A
judge also ruled that Ellis’ team can mention his “good character and good reputation.”
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalb champ, com
When suspended
DeKalb County CEO
Burrell Ellis goes back to
court June 1 for his retrial,
he will be facing new allega
tions of perjury.
Superior Court Judge
Courtney Johnson ruled
May 11 that prosecutors
could introduce evidence of
Ellis’ alleged perjury related
to his involvement with the
bid process for an ambu
lance contract.
Ellis is accused of
strong-arming vendors to
donate to his reelection
campaign. His first trial in
October 2014 ended in a
hung jury.
According to the judges
order, prosecutors plan to
present evidence that Ellis
“falsely testified to the spe
cial purpose grand jury that
an RFP [request for propos
al] committee member nev
er disclosed to him details of
an RFP evaluation process
during an active RFP.”
The order states that
prosecutors plan to show
that Ellis conversed with
former DeKalb fire chief
Edward O’Brien about the
RFP while it was active and
while O’Brien was on the
RFP committee. Prosecutors
also plan to present evidence
of Ellis conversations with
Kevin Ross, a representative
of Rural Metro, an ambu
lance company competing
for the RFP.
Additionally, the District
Attorney’s Office intends
to show that Ellis “testified
falsely that he never had a
conversation with a ven
dor. . .about the RFP process
during an active RFP,” court
documents show.
While Ellis’ attorneys
argued in motions that the
“alleged perjury constitutes
a distinct, actual alleged of
fense which [prosecutors]
failed to charge [Ellis] with,”
the court said a defendant’s
“uncharged bad acts is ad
missible when it is intrinsic
to the crime charged.”
The court states “there is
sufficient proof that the jury
can find that [Ellis] com
mitted the act” because “the
conversations at issue are
recorded.”
In motions, Ellis’ at
torneys asked the court
to reconsider and reverse
itself on 28 rulings that the
“defendant deems were det
rimental to his defense and
violative of his constitutional
rights,” according to court
documents.
The ruling denying the
motions states there was
nothing new that would
warrant such a reversal. The
judge ordered that Ellis’ le
gal team cannot:
Argue that the special
purpose grand jury which
investigated Ellis legally
exceeded the scope of its
authority or that the DA’s
Office “did not disclose that
[Ellis] was the subject of an
investigation” when he testi
fied before the grand jury.
• Make “any examination or
argument or [present] any
evidence concerning his
powers or duties as CEO
or his belief of the same
under the DeKalb Organi
zational Act, as that act is
irrelevant as a defense to
the unauthorized acts of
bribery, extortion, etc., as
detailed in the indictment.”
• Describe “how [the] de
fendant interacted with
other vendors that are not
the subject of the indict
ment” because this is ir
relevant.
• Argue the Ellis was “urged”
by Kelvin Walton to take
“certain actions.”
Ellis’ team can, the judge
ruled, present “relevant spe
cific instances of conduct
related to [Ellis’] good char
acter and good reputation.”
According to the judge’s
order, Ellis’ legal team is
barred from making any
reference about Ellis “leav
ing a lucrative’ legal career
for public service.” The de
fendant’s attorneys are also
barred from making any
reference to the punishment
and possible effects of Ellis’
conviction.
A motion to resched
ule the start of the trial was
denied. Ellis’ attorneys pre
sented “various concerns
and commitments” of at
torney Dwight Thomas, but
the court found that Ellis
is represented by multiple
counsel.
DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF
EDUCATION
PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30,2016
Monday, June 1,2015
TIME LOCATION
5:45 p.m. J. David Williamson Board Room
Administrative & Instructional Complex
1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold a public
budget hearing to solicit feedback from the public
regarding the 2015-2016 school system’s budget.
FOR INFORMATION, CALL THE OFFICE OF THE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT 678-676-0133.
City Schools of Decatur
Budget for Fiscal Year 2016
July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016
General Fund Special Funds Nutrition Fund Capital Funds
ESTIMATED REVENUES
Local Taxes
$
30,931,292
s
3,480,000
Local Other
2,687,287
$
1,001,100
State General
State Other
21,510,183
$
700,000
37,000
Federal
1,581,656
651,000
Transfers from Other Funds
General Fund Balance Obligated
Capital Fund Balance Restricted
2,168,528
264,072
16,467,385
Total Revenues
$
57,297,290
$
2,545,728
$
1,689,100
$
19,947,385
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES
Instruction
$
37,185,924
$
2,215,545
Pupil Services
1,871,607
34,404
Improvement of Instructional Services
1,563,979
197,926
Educational Media Services
Federal Grant Administration
1,289,049
78,719
General Administration
1,337,817
School Administration
4,191,539
Support Services - Business
419,521
Maintenance and Operation of Plant Services
4,960,846
Student Transportation Service
1,373,944
Support Services - Central
1,033,598
Other Support Services
7,000
19,134
School Nutrition Program
999,912
$
1,689,100
Community Services Operations
Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services
87,010
$
16,388,521
Transfers to Other Funds
264,072
Debt Service
711,472
3,558,864
Total Expenditures
$
57,297,290
$
2,545,728
$
1,689,100
$
19,947,385
The Fiscal Year 2016 Tentative Budget will be considered for final adoption by the Board of Education at
6:30 PM at the regular board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The meeting will be held in the
Board Room of the Central Office at 125 Electric Avenue.