(Elias Irizarry, Headline USA) In Georgia, Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson, a Democrat, found herself handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser last Thursday after allegedly attacking a police officer outside an Atlanta nightclub and then refusing to identify herself. She appeared to be “under the influence” during the incident.
Police detained the embattled jurist and charged her with felony obstruction of law-enforcement officers by using threats or violence and simple battery of a police officer. She was booked at the Fulton County Jail with her bond set at $5,000.
On June 25, Georgia’s Supreme Court decided in support of Peterson’s removal from the bench, stating that she “portrays to the public an image of a judge who believes she is above the law.”
Surprisingly, their decision was completely unrelated to her recent arrest.
The now ex-judge’s removal—which was recommended in March by Georgia’s Judicial Qualifications Commission—stemmed from 30 separate charges for ethics violations, as well “systemic incompetence.”
The commission cited many incidents in which Peterson was said to have acted inappropriately in her official capacity—including inappropriate social-media posts, inappropriate contact with a litigant, abusive behavior toward other judges and county officials, and letting wedding guests into the courthouse after-hours.
One of the most harrowing incidents in Peterson’s streak of systemic incompetence was her decision to jail a naturalized U.S. citizen from Thailand after she attempted to amend her marriage certificate to include the name of her biological father.
The woman had brought a translated birth certificate of her father’s name to add to her marriage license. However, Peterson decided to charge her with contempt of court after deciding that the certificate was “fraudulent” and sentenced her to the maximum punishment—20 days in jail.
In this process, she failed to inform the woman what charges she was being arrested for, failed to inform her of her due rights, and did not permit her to have any legal counsel.
NEW: WOKE black woman judge, previously found guilty of 'systemic incompetence,' was arrested and charged with battery against a police officer at a Buckhead nightclub
Douglas County Judge Christina Peterson was already under investigation for alleged misconduct
She now faces… pic.twitter.com/cwHDYf0ygw
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) June 21, 2024
Peterson complained to the Judicial Qualifications Commission in her defense hearing that she was “the first African–American female judge who was a Democrat,” and that she “was never celebrated or congratulated.”
The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will be responsible for prosecuting Peterson.
Willis, herself has recently been marred by ethics complaints regarding her romantic escapades with Nathan Wade, the prosecutor assigned to former President Donald Trump.
She currently faces several investigations a the state and federal level, including a House investigation alleging her office misused federal funds earmarked for gang-prevention initiatives to pay for “computers, travel and swag.”
