The Georgia Supreme Court has removed a county probate judge who was recently arrested for allegedly shoving a police officer during a profanity-laden altercation outside an Atlanta nightclub.
Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson, 38, was removed from the bench and banned from holding any judicial post in the state for seven years, effective Tuesday (June 25), Fox News reports.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruling comes after the Judicial Qualifications Commission found the Atlanta judge guilty of “systemic incompetence” and recommended her removal from office in April.
Misconduct & Controversy
In one misconduct case, the court found issue with Peterson’s decision to jail a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Thailand. The woman had sought to amend her marriage license to include her biological father’s name.
Peterson ruled that the woman was attempting to defraud the court and sentenced her to a maximum of 20 days in County jail, with the option to reduce her sentence to two days upon payment of a $500 fine. The woman paid the fine and was released after two days.
After a thorough investigation, however, the JQC found that the woman was acting in good faith and was trying to correct “an innocent mistake borne out of ignorance rather than ill intent.”
The court determined that Judge Peterson provided “untruthful testimony” to the panel about the case, saying it “underscores her conscious wrongdoing” in finding the woman guilty of criminal contempt.
The incident was one of 30 counts brought against Peterson. The court found that 12 of those counts warranted disciplinary action.
Additional Allegations
The embattled judge, elected and sworn into office in December 2020, was also allegedly accused of allowing unauthorized individuals to enter the County courthouse after hours without proper screening and directing deputies to work overtime on her behalf with taxpayer money.
Peterson’s troubling misconduct also extended outside the courthouse. She was accused of engaging in “hostile exchanges” with neighbors at her homeowner’s association meeting while suing the association.
She also activated a panic button in her chambers when the deputy assigned to escort her to court failed to arrive on time.
The State Supreme Court emphasized that her recurring actions “fell short of demonstrating the decorum and temperament expected of a judge.”
“Accordingly, Judge Christina Peterson of the Douglas County Probate Court has been removed from office, effective upon the date of this opinion,” the court continued, noting that the probate judge will not be eligible to be elected or appointed to any future judicial position in Georgia for seven years.
The Arrest
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Separately, Peterson was arrested Thursday (June 20) after she allegedly pushed an off-duty Atlanta police officer outside the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge in Buckhead.
According to reports, the off-duty officer was working security when he went to investigate a commotion.
As he tried to de-escalate the situation, Peterson came over and immediately started screaming at him, repeatedly swiping the officer’s hands away as he tried to assist one of the women who was being escorted out. She also pushed him in the chest twice.
“Let her f–cking go, let her f–cking go,” Peterson screamed at the guard and police officer, according to footage released by Atlanta police and obtained by local outlets.
The embattled judge was consequently handcuffed and hauled into the back of a police cruiser, where she continued shouting expletives and refused to give her name to the arresting officer.
She was later charged with simple battery against a police officer and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Peterson’s Defense
At a news conference Friday (June 21), two witnesses, including the alleged victim, told reporters that Peterson was only trying to help out and she did not intend to hit the officer.
“He viciously attacked me, punched me in my face, and Judge Peterson was the only one to help me,” she said.
Peterson’s attorney, Marvin Arrington Jr., suggested that law enforcement officers might have been confused “in the heat of the moment.” He also claimed that the judge only tried to be a Good Samaritan.
“As the investigation continues to unfold and more facts come to light, we believe that Judge Christina Peterson will be completely exonerated of these charges,” Arrington said at the news conference.
