FORT VALLEY, Ga. — After Alecia Johnson, a former Fort Valley State University employee, pleaded guilty to prostitution charges, her lawyer is calling it a victory.
Johnson and her lawyer, Adrian Patrick, got her charges reduced to misdemeanors and one student says despite the latest development in the case, the buzz had died down on campus.
“As far as the school is concerned, I think we're having a great time. We're doing great things and it was just that one bad apple out of the bunch. She’s gone,” said student Neddrick Nichols.
Nichols is a rising junior at Fort Valley and he remembers back in October when the results of the sex scandal were announced because it was around homecoming.
“It put more of a damper on the mood of the students that somebody was reporting negatively on Fort Valley rather than the person that did the crime,” said Nichols.
He’s referring to Alecia Johnson, the former executive to the university president, who has since resigned.
"It may have had a knee jerk reaction, like everyone has an emotional reaction, but once it comes down to the fall enrollments, I don't think it'll have any impact. People will forget about it more or less,” he said.
Eight months later, Johnson’s lawyer says the guilty plea in exchange for testimony is a victory.
"The victory in this case was that everything that was a felony was dismissed and my client was only charged with six misdemeanor violations,” Adrian Patrick said via phone.
She was given five years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 180 days of house arrest. Patrick says it also means she can begin moving on with her life.
"No prison time and she's able to do any time at home on house arrest, she'll be able to keep a job and still support her son who's in college now,” said Patrick.
For Johnson and her lawyer, the next step will be waiting to hear if the co-defendants will go to trial.
They're the men who allegedly paid her for sex, a former university attorney, Hinesville’s city manager, a Crisp County commissioner and a former Houston County assistant principal.
By text message, Alecia Johnson reached out to 13WMAZ reporter Kayla Solomon and said she pleaded guilty because her mother and son didn’t want her to go to trial. She also said that she’s spent $15,000 in legal fees and a trial would cost another $10,000.
She’s also working on a book about her experience, titled ‘Will the Real Madame Please Stand Up?’
She concluded by saying, "I’ve lost my retirement and my savings and I’m back to the bottom, but guess what? There’s no where to go but up. People keep kicking me when I’m down but the Devil will definitely be defeated, I’m still God’s daughter and He loves me in spite of. Just like Cardi B said, 'I’m still living my best life' and I’m giggling because I can’t let the devil have the last laugh. Okurrrttt."
13WMAZ reached out again Tuesday to Fort Valley State University, and a spokeswoman says they have no comment.
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