Atlanta judge sentences former Atlanta Police Officer to 4 and a half years
Tesler got much more time than I thought he would. I am sure his lawyer feels the same way.
Yesterday, Judge Johnson sentenced Arthur Tesler to four and a half years, just 6 months short of the maximum sentence for this crime.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story.
Normally, a conviction for making a false statement would not put someone in prison for close to 5 years. It's a 1 to 2 year offense, at worst. It's likely that Judge Johnson considered the effect of this offense on both the Atlanta Police Department and the community. Although the jury found that Testler was not responsible for the shooting, he was culpable for the cover-up. Considering the collateral damage of the whole incident, the judge probably wanted to send a message. Looks like he did.
Of course, Tesler has the right to pursue an appeal of both the conviction and the sentence, but his defense lawyer may advise him not to. Tesler basically admitted the only count of conviction, and Georgia judges have a lot of discretion in sentencing after a criminal trial. If Tesler and his lawyer want to appeal or ask for a new trial, they have to file a notice within 30 days.
There are some community activists asking for a federal criminal investigation, but that would be unlikely. The feds have already charged the other two officers and apparently gave Tesler a pass based on what they knew about his involvement. I see no reason for the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta to re-visit that decision now.
