DeKalb Superior Judge Cynthia Becker, guilty of General Excellence in the Field of Awesomeness. She’s also a past president of The Decatur, Ga. Rotary Club

Every once in a while someone in the news does something awesome. When they do, they deserve the highest compliment Decaturish.com can bestow.

This week former DeKalb County Schools officials received their sentences after being convicted of steering lucrative contracts to family members. Former DeKalb Schools superintendent Crawford Lewis avoided a lengthier sentence by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction charge and testifying for the prosecution, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Lewis was to serve a year on probation for the crime of obstructing the District Attorney’s investigation of DeKalb Schools.

But Superior Judge Cynthia Becker didn’t think the punishment fit the crime.

She sentenced Lewis to a year in prison, which means he likely won’t be home for the holidays this year. Welp, scratch that. Looks like he will be home this Christmas while his attorney challenges the judge’s decision. Still, the possible year in prison is still way better than what he was facing before he pleaded to a misdemeanor.

After Becker made her decision, officers handcuffed Lewis and escorted him out of the courtroom. The AJC reports he’s looking to withdraw his plea. Good luck with that, sir.

I don’t know what motivated Becker to do what she did. I believe in everyone’s right to a fair trial. However, Lewis and his staff left DeKalb County Schools in a huge mess. If a former Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent is facing serious jail time because of changed test scores, the former CEO of DeKalb can experience the inconvenience of 12 months in prison for obstructing justice.

There are kids who attended DeKalb Schools that have missed out on a lifetime of opportunities thanks to piss poor management of that system.

Judge Becker took a stand, not just for justice, but for the importance of public education in our society. If that’s not General Excellence in the Field of Awesomeness, I don’t know what is.