2 days ago
The bad news conscionable keeps coming for a Georgia judge who was precocious arrested for allegedly hitting a cop extracurricular of an Atlanta nightclub.
Douglaston County Probate Judge Christina Peterson, 38, was removed from agency connected Tuesday, pursuing an investigation into abstracted morals charges.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled connected Tuesday that 12 retired of 30 cases brought against Peterson, a two-term Democrat, warranted subject and ruled that she beryllium removed from nan chair effective immediately.
She is now besides not eligible to beryllium elected aliases appointed to immoderate early judicial positions successful nan full authorities for 7 years, Fox News reports.
The determination comes connected nan heels of Judicial Qualifications Commission ruling, which recovered her blameworthy of 'systemic incompetence' successful April and recommended her removal.
Douglaston County Probate Judge Christina Peterson, 38, was removed from agency connected Tuesday
In 1 of nan cases cited by nan Georgia Supreme Court connected Tuesday, Peterson decided to jailhouse a naturalized US national who simply wanted to amend her matrimony licence pinch nan sanction of her existent father.
PJ Skelton, a Thai migrant who was joined successful Douglas County successful 2016, explained to nan proceeding sheet past twelvemonth that she has nary memories of her begetter - and alternatively listed her uncle connected her matrimony certificate, because he was nan 1 who raised her.
But erstwhile she tried to correct nan issue, Peterson told her to travel to court.
The judge past ruled that Skelton was trying to defraud nan tribunal and sentenced her to a maximum of 20 days successful jailhouse - which she said could beryllium reduced to 2 hours if she paid a $500 fine.
Skelton yet paid nan fine, and spent 48 hours down bars.
She told nan sheet she had not expected nan judge to enactment that way, and noted that Peterson ne'er advised her to bring a lawyer pinch her.
The sheet yet recovered that Skelton was acting 'in bully religion trying to correct' what appeared to beryllium 'an guiltless correction borne retired of ignorance, alternatively than ill-intent,' according to tribunal documents obtained by Fox.
It besides recovered that Peterson made 'untruthful' grounds to nan sheet erstwhile trying to take sides her ruling, which they claimed 'underscores her conscious wrongdoing.'
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled connected Tuesday that 12 retired of 30 cases brought against Peterson, a two-term Democrat, warranted discipline
The committee besides accused Peterson of flouting courthouse information protocols, specifically during a wedding held after-hours wrong her courthouse without information screening.
The charges further impact making inappropriate societal media posts promoting her part-time acting profession and ignoring a sheriff's order.
Moreover, dissimilar her predecessor, Peterson chose to support each commencement and decease certificate fees successful summation to her salary, a believe that while legal, is viewed arsenic unethical.
In 2022, Peterson - astatine this constituent a six-year vet - kept $140,485 successful fees, pushing her yearly compensation to $265,487, records show.
The twelvemonth before, she pocketed $139,447 successful fees, making her full income $265,862.
By comparison, successful 2022 nan main justness for nan Georgia Supreme Court made $216,593.
Her removal from agency comes conscionable days aft she was arrested for allegedly hitting a bull extracurricular of an Atlanta nightclub
Peterson claims she was unfairly arrested while trying to beryllium a Good Samaritan
Peterson was already facing scrutiny for these decisions erstwhile she was arrested Thursday for allegedly punching a constabulary serviceman who was moving information astatine nan Red Martini Restaurant.
Cops said she had been engaging successful a nighttime of drinking earlier nan altercation, and constabulary worn assemblage camera footage shows nan judge, wearing a low-cut dress- wrapped up successful a beingness conflict which allegedly came conscionable seconds earlier nan strike.
It shows really Peterson ran up connected nan bull and a information defender to thief a female who she claims was 'attacked'.
The clip goes connected to show an uncooperative Peterson conversing pinch cops successful a squad car, telling them to 'Google her' while cuffed and visibly distressed.
'Take maine wherever you wanna return me,' she says successful nan video, shared conscionable hours aft a property convention was held to talk nan Douglas County Probate Judge's arrest.
'You don't request identification. You person picked up dormant bodies erstwhile you don't cognize who bodies it was, but you picked them up.
'Take maine wherever you request to return me.'
Peterson told cops to 'Google her' and appeared uncooperative successful constabulary assemblage camera footage
Peterson was seen struggling and writhing done her apprehension early Thursday
But Peterson has since said the clip was taken retired of context, saying nan altercation came aft she was unfairly arrested while trying to beryllium a Good Samaritan.
She said she had conscionable stepped successful to thief a female who was being 'viciously attacked' astatine nan edifice and lounge disconnected Peachtree Road, by an unnamed man not seen successful nan footage.
'She was nan only 1 that helped me,' Alexandria Love, nan female astatine nan halfway of nan incident, said astatine nan news convention Friday, during which Peterson appeared unfazed by her apprehension a small complete a time before.
Love, meanwhile, donned a cast, arsenic Peterson's attorney Marvin Arrington Jr. vowed to take sides his customer to nan bitter end.
'This is surviving impervious of "No bully deed goes unpunished,"' nan judge's ineligible practice said.
'The thought that a Good Samaritan who was helping a female that was being viciously attacked could beryllium arrested and nan man who was viciously attacking nan female did not get arrested speaks to different issues.'
A fewer hours later, nan footage was made nationalist - arsenic some Love and different witnesser emphatically said they did not cognize Peterson beforehand.
In nan car, she appeared progressively unrepentant, crossing her legs defiantly
Later footage besides showed nan judge struggling distant from an serviceman while being escorted into a rule enforcement building, while repeating nan words, 'Don't touch me!'
Shortly before, Peterson was handcuffed facedown connected nan ground, nan bodycam footage shows - pinch constabulary asking for her name, and her refusing to springiness it.
A preliminary constabulary study viewed by FOX 5 said nan judge 'appeared to beryllium nether nan influence' erstwhile she deed nan serviceman - an enactment that is difficult to make retired successful nan footage.
In it, nan antheral serviceman said to beryllium punched is seen opinionated complete Peterson and Love, arsenic nan erstwhile is seen pushing nan serviceman successful nan chest, astatine 1 constituent swiping astatine his hands.
The clip past gets progressively shaky arsenic a beingness conflict ensues, aft which nan filming serviceman is seen putting nan jurist successful bracelets.
But Peterson - an charismatic tasked pinch impartially overseeing section laws - did not spell quietly, seen struggling and writhing done nan full ordeal.
It ends pinch her connected nan floor, earlier being brought to nan squad car and yet nan station.
In nan car, she appears progressively unrepentant, crossing her legs defiantly.
Peterson is now facing charges of elemental artillery against a constabulary serviceman and felony willful obstruction of rule enforcement by usage of threats of violence, according to jailhouse records, arsenic an investigation into nan alleged altercation continues.
