December 10, 2006

TSU Prof Released 9 1/2 Years Early

As an educator and a taxpayer, I find the leniency shown to Dottie Malone Atkins to be shocking and unacceptable.

A former English professor at Texas Southern University, who has served six months of a 10-year sentence for stealing thousands of dollars from programs she managed at the school, could be released on probation before Christmas.

Dottie Malone Atkins, 67, pleaded guilty in April to theft by a public servant in connection with fraudulent requisitions she created and consultant fees she was paid as director of the Mickey Leland Center on World Hunger and Peace, and two other programs, prosecutors said. She was sentenced in June to 10 years in prison. She had faced a maximum sentence of 20 years.

But state District Judge Don Stricklin granted her request this week for "shock probation," meaning she will be released from prison after serving about 180 days and will be placed on supervised release.

"The good news is Ms. Atkins will be home for Christmas," said Sam Adamo, her lawyer. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, according to court records.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Donna Goode said the state opposed probation. She wants Stricklin to impose conditions of release that include restitution, community service and an apology to TSU administrators and students.

Prosecutors have said that from 2000 to 2002, Atkins stole about $76,000 from the Leland center, the university's anti-tobacco program and the Texas Legislative Intern Program.

They said she created fake requisitions and invoices for work that was not done.

This thief will not even admit the full extent of her crimes -- what is the deal with letting her out early? What is more, there is no requirement that she make restitution for the money she stole -- money that came from students at TSU and taxpayers of the state of Texas. And to listen to her lawyer, she is the victim in this case -- a victim of "gambling addiction".

Here's hoping that Judge Stricklin reconsiders his decision -- or that some avenue remains for the state to overturn his action. Serving five percent of a sentence and making no restitution for the damage she has done is no punishment for Atkins.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 I was actually in Judge Stricklin's court room the day he agreed to let her out early, acutally i was also in court a month earlier too when he turned down her lawyers request mostly because she wouldn't admit guilt and she had not attempted to any help for her gambling issues nor has she attempted to pay any restitution (he said something like he didn't think it was fair to the state of texas to let her out if she isn't willing to pay back what she stole and due to her age if she paid only the $500 a month it was likely she wouldn't be alive to pay the rest of what she owed) but when her husband made a payment of $20,000 of the $76,000 the next month the Judge agreed to the probation.

Posted by: Malik Washington at Tue Dec 19 05:59:40 2006 (y9We1)

2 Be that as it may, there is no moral justification for letting her out -- she stole not just from her employers (the taxpayers of the state of Texas), but also from her students, an offense this teacher considers reprehensible.

But hey, maybe you would support a similar sweetheart deal for Jeff Skilling.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Tue Dec 19 07:55:53 2006 (yy5BE)

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