Andy Pierrotti 1k401s

Investigative Reporter 2r1p10
Atlanta, GA w6w4g
Andy Pierrotti

Andy Pierrotti is a national award-winning investigative reporter recognized with the duPont Columbia Award, George Foster Peabody, multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. Andy’s investigations have changed state laws, put people in prison, freed a man from jail and led to historic state fines. 271n6l

Most of Andy's stories focus on government ability and consumer advocacy, with an emphasis on tracking viewers' tax dollars, safety, health and well-being.

Andy is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina. In 2018, USC honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award. He’s also the first professional-in-residence to teach at USC’s College of Information and Communications.

If you have an investigative story you want Andy to tackle, please email: [email protected] or call Phone: 404-290-9346

Education 1c6p1n
  • University of South Carolina

    • InvestigateTV
    Why some cities are accused of using the police as revenue generators

    Why some cities are accused of using the police as revenue generators 5k6054

    Updated: Jun. 5, 2025 at 7:38 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    While one state is accused of allowing cities to fatten budgets with fines and forfeitures, another state took action in 2023 to stop similar actions.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    Her father was a US Navy man who served in Vietnam. So why is ICE detaining her? 462n72

    Updated: May 24, 2025 at 11:31 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Alma Bowman is facing deportation despite her father being an American serviceman.

    InvestigateTV
    Atlanta drivers incorrectly ticketed by speed cameras

    Atlanta drivers incorrectly ticketed by speed cameras 675v11

    Updated: Apr. 28, 2025 at 3:43 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Warning lights intended to alert drivers when speed cameras issue tickets were not working. Now, some drivers will get refunds.

    National
    ‘It Hurts Kids’: Many schools continue to teach controversial reading remediation program

    ‘It Hurts Kids’: Many schools continue to teach controversial reading remediation program 4a1c52

    Updated: Apr. 25, 2025 at 5:51 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti, Bailey Williams and Emily Featherston
    Our investigators examine how the program works and dig into the states that have (and have not) banned the specific method.

    Regional
    Earlier this year, the State Board of Education signed off on the regulation promulgated by...

    Reading method ban awaits approval of Georgia governor 3x5t57

    Updated: Apr. 21, 2025 at 11:47 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    A series of new laws aimed at transforming how reading is taught in Georgia’s public schools are now awaiting approval from Gov. Brian Kemp.

    InvestigateTV
    Georgia’s highest court to hear case of dad convicted of killing infant son

    Georgia’s highest court to hear case of dad convicted of killing infant son 1z2771

    Updated: Apr. 8, 2025 at 3:54 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Danyel Smith was convicted of killing his infant son more than 20 years ago. He’s maintained his innocence since.

    Regional
    Flashing school zone lights and lower speed limits are back.

    School zone camera bills fail to on Ga, lawmakers’ last day 4c6e4w

    Updated: Apr. 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti and Tim Darnell
    Complaints have been rising over the technology’s use in school zones.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    School zone camera bills fail to on legislature’s last day 1g4w4o

    Updated: Apr. 5, 2025 at 12:03 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti and Tim Darnell
    Complaints have been rising over the technology’s use in school zones.

    State
    Augusta State Medical Prison

    Low literacy linked to Georgia’s incarceration crisis, decades after federal warning 5f6d6v

    Updated: Apr. 3, 2025 at 3:37 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Atlanta News First investigation ‘Reading Reset’ identifies potential causes, solutions to Georgia’s poor literacy rates.

    National
    Millions of Americans in insulin deserts worry that recent price reductions could one day...

    Millions of Americans in insulin deserts worry that recent price reductions could one day disappear 525830

    Updated: Mar. 25, 2025 at 10:37 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    The largest insulin manufacturers - Sanofi, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk - recently reduced the cost of insulin, but it’s only a voluntary move.

    Regional
    Grace period for new speed cameras end

    Georgia Senate debating school zone speed cameras 725t43

    Updated: Mar. 19, 2025 at 3:37 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    A Georgia Senate subcommittee heard testimony on two competing bills that could drastically alter the use of speed detection cameras in school zones.

    Regional
    Being a member makes you a part of our charge, to be a voice for Georgia agriculture.

    Ga. debate swirls around pesticide labeling legislation 6w422

    Updated: Mar. 5, 2025 at 12:52 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Senate Bill 144 was filed in response to an ongoing debate surrounding pesticide labeling. It's more controversial than you might expect.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    Ga. lawmakers push to ban controversial teaching methods 291i4t

    Updated: Mar. 5, 2025 at 10:11 AM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Georgia could soon 19 other states in banning a controversial method used to teach children to read here for decades.

    InvestigateTV
    Why an accused murderer still awaits trial nearly 9 years after his arrest

    Nearly 9 years after his arrest, an accused murderer awaits trial 5o4a23

    Updated: Mar. 2, 2025 at 10:29 AM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Bill Haynes was murdered in 2016. Police immediately arrested a suspect, but he’s never gone on trial.

    Local
    Actual steering wheel of a Ferrari F458 Italia sportscar

    Ga. House backs bill targeting speed-trap towns, including 7 in CSRA i6oc

    Updated: Feb. 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    A Georgia lawmaker is trying to pump the brakes on a longtime police practice that generates millions for small cities off the backs of drivers.

    Regional
    Actual steering wheel of a Ferrari F458 Italia sportscar

    Ga. lawmaker targets speed-trap towns, including 7 in CSRA 3s5s2r

    Updated: Jan. 29, 2025 at 12:38 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    A Georgia lawmaker is trying to pump the brakes on a longtime police practice that generates millions for small cities off the backs of drivers.

    National
    Judge reverses verdict after juror accused of lying about his job

    Judge reverses verdict after juror accused of lying about his job 4x2b61

    Updated: Jan. 24, 2025 at 3:27 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti and InvestigateTV Staff
    The family of a woman killed in a taxi cab crash will have to endure a new trial after a judge believes a jury got it wrong

    National
    ‘Nobody cares ’: County jail detainees complain about medical provider

    ‘Nobody cares ’: County jail detainees complain about medical provider 4y295r

    Updated: Jan. 22, 2025 at 12:07 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    While waiting for her court date behind bars, Brittny Sharpe had big plans for the future. The 34-year-old woman never got the chance to fulfill her dream.

    National
    ‘Don’t lose our mother’: Woman wanders far from home at memory care facility, found dead days...

    ‘Don’t lose our mother’: Woman wanders far from home at memory care facility, found dead days later 1d345i

    Updated: Jan. 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti, Jill Riepenhoff and Bailey Williams
    Government inspectors found hundreds of deficiencies related to wandering risks in facilities in multiple states

    Education
    ANF Investigates

    Georgia State University accused of teaching ‘debunked’ reading methods 48566x

    Updated: Dec. 10, 2024 at 1:30 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Multiple states have banned a method used to teach children to read for decades, but it’s still allowed in Georgia.

    National
    Family of woman killed in cab crash will have to endure a new trial after a judge believes a...

    Judge reverses verdict after juror accused of lying about his job 6b4167

    Updated: Sep. 20, 2024 at 2:10 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Family of woman killed in cab crash will have to endure a new trial after a judge believes a jury got it wrong.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    A deadly gap | More than 100 insulin deserts plague Georgia diabetics 702pz

    Updated: May 15, 2024 at 3:30 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Georgia U.S. Sen. Warnock wants $35 insulin cap to be law of the land.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    ‘They dropped the ball’ | Family settles $40 million lawsuit over nonfunctional guardrail 2sp21

    Updated: Mar. 7, 2024 at 6:06 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    How Georgia’s struggle to repair guardrails cost lives and taxpayers’ millions

    National
    Abriya Ellison

    Shot at a birthday party, she now faces the high cost of survival 261o1n

    Updated: Jan. 15, 2024 at 12:12 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    How much does it cost to survive a shooting? We did the math.

    Regional
    ANF Investigates

    Shot at a birthday party, she now faces the high cost of survival 261o1n

    Updated: Nov. 17, 2023 at 8:24 AM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    How much does it cost to survive a shooting? We did the math.

    National
    Georgia state trooper David Peterson was involved in a high-speed chase that claimed the life...

    High-Speed Stakes: New report urges police to reduce high-speed chases 703n5b

    Updated: Oct. 2, 2023 at 4:52 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Hundreds of Americans die in police chases every year. Now a new DOJ report recommends police only pursue potential suspects in certain scenarios.

    Traffic
    Georgia state trooper David Peterson was involved in a high-speed chase that claimed the life...

    New report urges police to reduce high-speed chases 1c3z1n

    Updated: Sep. 21, 2023 at 3:47 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    People expect law enforcement to track down suspects accused of crimes, but how Georgia troopers do it is under scrutiny.

    National Politics
    Harrison Floyd

    UPDATES: Bond denied for lone jailed Trump co-defendant Harrison Floyd 433o1j

    Updated: Aug. 25, 2023 at 4:47 PM EDT
    |
    By Tim Darnell, Andy Pierrotti, Talgat Almanov and Atlanta News First staff
    Continuing coverage of Donald Trump's historic Fulton County arrest.

    National
    A woman crouches to submerge a large plastic container in a pool of water, while an empty...

    Study: ‘Forever Chemicals’ show up in nearly half the nation’s drinking water 3d6kz

    Updated: Aug. 14, 2023 at 5:05 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    PFAS has been linked to numerous health issues, and a federal study estimates the drinking water of nearly half of U.S. households may contain the chemicals.

    Local
    Sunfish caught in the Ogeechee River

    Fish being tested for cancer-causing toxin in Georgia river 23x5y

    Updated: Jul. 28, 2023 at 12:16 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    The Ogeechee River has been plagued with contamination for years.

    Regional
    Maurice Jimmerson has waited more than 10 years behind bars for his day in court. His defense...

    Mistrial declared after man waits 10 years in jail for day in court d4y2w

    Updated: Jul. 24, 2023 at 4:03 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Maurice Jimmerson's pretrial detention is longest in Georgia history and second longest in U.S., his attorney says.

    Regional
    Maurice Jimmerson

    Why has this Georgia man been behind bars for 10 years awaiting trial? 5r1d1g

    Updated: May 1, 2023 at 8:42 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Police arrested Maurice Jimmerson and four others in 2013 for murder. A jury acquitted two, but Jimmerson has remained in jail, legally innocent, waiting for his day in court.

    National
    A state medical board could be investigating a doctor for his alleged role that nearly killed...

    Overmedicated: Doctor accused of not following drug protocols 6m3t65

    Updated: Apr. 3, 2023 at 7:12 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    A state medical board could be investigating a doctor for his alleged role that nearly killed a Georgia mother.

    Politics
    Sharron Starks at her son's gravesite in March.

    Mother whose son was shot to death says DAs should be held able 2x3d5k

    Updated: Mar. 31, 2023 at 10:23 AM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Georgia lawmakers have approved a District Attorneys Oversight Commission that could hold prosecutors able for their actions.

    Regional
    An investigation into a metro Atlanta school who kicked out a couple dozen students in one day.

    Parents: Controversial parental contract is ‘legalized discrimination’ 121p1k

    Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 3:24 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    More than 30 students’ removals were the result of violating a controversial parental contract some believe is discriminatory.

    News
    Omotayo Alli (middle), executive director of the Georgia Public Defenders Council, at a...

    Georgia’s top public defender flips, its her agency cannot hire enough lawyers 5z3i1e

    Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 8:31 AM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    The head of the Georgia Public Defenders Council is itting her agency is struggling to hire public defenders to represent those accused of a crime.

    News
    Carol May's home in Austell was damaged on Thursday by storms.

    What to do before and after filing an insurance claim following storm damage 1g6e4q

    Updated: Jan. 13, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Georgia's Office of Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner says there are things you need to know before and after filing a claim.

    National
    In most cases, patients with mental disabilities must be evaluated by doctors and get approval...

    Playing God: Medical staff accused of placing DNRs on patients without family knowledge 2m2z3h

    Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 5:12 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    In most cases, patients with mental disabilities must be evaluated by doctors and get approval from their legal guardians before a “Do Not Resuscitate” order is approved. InvestigateTV uncovered that doesn’t always happen. The result: when a patient has an emergency, medical staff are not allowed to intervene with potentially-life-saving treatments.

    News
    In most cases, patients with mental disabilities must be evaluated by doctors and get approval...

    Playing God: Medical staff accused of placing DNRs on patients without family knowledge 3350o

    Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 12:11 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    In most cases, patients with mental disabilities must be evaluated by doctors and get approval from legal guardians before a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order is approved. That doesn’t always happen.

    News
    A still image from the recording of Trequelle Vann-Marcouex's interrogation.

    ‘An unacceptable crisis’ | Defendants languishing in jail because of public defender shortage 6j502w

    Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 10:39 AM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to an attorney to people who cannot afford one. But most state public defender offices, including Georgia's, are chronically understaffed.

    National
    InvestigateTV looks at how changing science is raising questions about prison sentences.

    Bite mark evidence used in dozens of convictions now considered ‘junk science’ by some 4z2k1s

    Updated: Dec. 12, 2022 at 4:58 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    For the first time, the federal government has weighed in on the validity of bite mark evidence, a tool critics claim prosecutors have used to incarcerate innocent people for decades. A Georgia man on death row for more than 40 years could get a new trial because of a change in scientific understanding of bitemark analysis. Not everyone agrees he deserves it.

    National
    The Sixth: Released from Jail

    The Sixth: Released from jail w4258

    Updated: Dec. 6, 2022 at 3:13 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    InvestigateTV continues to expose the consequences of staffing shortages burdening public defender offices across the country. In this installment of the series, our team focuses on the impact on victims and trust in the criminal justice system.

    National
    InvestigateTV traveled the country to shed light on a constitutional crisis eroding the...

    The Sixth: Public defender shortage k3xk

    Updated: Dec. 5, 2022 at 1:29 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    InvestigateTV traveled the country to shed light on a constitutional crisis eroding the public’s trust in the criminal justice system and violating the rights of people accused of crimes. In a three-part series, our team exposes the consequences of the nation’s shortage of public defenders, its impact on victims, why it’s happening, and potential solutions.

    National
    The rate of pretrial confinement at many Army bases is lower for sexual assault than other...

    Two soldiers faced criminal charges — Their commanders treated their pretrial confinement very differently 346e56

    Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 12:11 PM EST
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti and Vianna Davila, Lexi Churchill and Ren Larson, ProPublica
    An investigation from our partners at ProPublica and The Texas Tribune uncovered soldiers accused of sexual assault are less likely to be placed in pretrial confinement than those accused of other offenses like marijuana possession or disobeying an officer.

    National
    InvestigateTV looks at how changing science is raising questions about prison sentences.

    ‘I made a mistake’ - Medical examiner changes homicide finding, but convicted woman still behind bars 693j6e

    Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 at 5:13 PM EDT
    |
    By Andy Pierrotti
    Advances in pediatric medicine are raising questions about "Shaken Baby Syndrome" diagnoses, and suggesting thousands of children may have died because of medical conditions, rather than foul play.

    Latest News 6u1m1l

    Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
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    Communities across CSRA wearing orange to raise gun violence awareness 63v1p
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    CAUGHT ON CAM: Bear s wakeboarder, jet skier on S.C. lake 5b536t
    Caribou Coffee Chippewa Falls location
    Caribou Coffee on track to open 2 locations in Augusta area 1z3iu
    An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is shown at the Miami Science Museum, Tuesday, June 7, 2011...
    SAFETY ALERT: It’s snake season – What if you run into one? 4n1i24

    Latest News 6u1m1l

    AESC announced it's expanding its Florence County electric vehicle gigafactory.
    S.C. battery plant paused amid concerns over tariffs, vehicle sales g2j2o
    FILE - A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in...
    CDC official resigns after RFK Jr. byes experts on COVID shots 445a3q
    5th measles case confirmed in Georgia, state health officials say 41653e
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    PACELINE Cancer research grant recipients being announced 5l4u5s
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    Methadone overdose suspected in Augusta death of 16-month old 6z3s6g
    Graduates at Academy of Richmond County and Davidson Fine Arts walk across stage on Wednesday.
    Richmond County’s 2025 graduates earn nearly $42M in scholarships 3k461h