The Georgia Supreme Court decided on Tuesday to remove a metro Atlanta judge from her position following an investigation into numerous ethics charges. This decision follows the judge’s recent arrest at an Atlanta nightclub.
Douglas County Judge Christina Peterson was charged with simple battery against a police officer at the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on Peachtree Street. Prior to this incident, she was already facing ethics charges brought by the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) in 2022.
The JQC determined that Peterson should be removed from her judicial position. On Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the JQC’s decision.
The court stated, “In conclusion, in light of her multiple violations of the CJC rules in relation to several matters—some of them reflecting a flagrant disregard for the law, court rules, and judicial conduct rules; the pattern of violations that the Director proved by clear and convincing evidence; the extremely concerning nature of some of those violations, in particular with respect to the criminal contempt matter; and her behavior during the JQC inquiry, we conclude that removal is the appropriate sanction.”
