He’d been tasked with representing more than half of the 11 defendants convicted in 2015 of racketeering and conspiracy in an alleged Atlanta Public Schools standardized test cheating scandal.

Now Atlanta Circuit public defender Stephen R. Scarborough no longer wants to represent his six clients, citing an alleged ethical conflict of interest, as some clients name each other in their defenses.

‘A Shaky Leg?’

Appellant attorney Stephen R. Scarborough of Atlanta Circuit Public Defender's Office; Supreme Court of Georgia Oral Arguments April 19, 2022 at Nathan Deal Judicial Center. Buckner-Webb et al. v. The State. Image from court video. Appellant attorney Stephen R. Scarborough of Atlanta Circuit Public Defender’s Office. Image from court video.