DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA – Douglas County Probate Court Judge Christina Peterson was swiftly removed from office by the Georgia Supreme Court in June 2024, following a ruling that she engaged in a “flagrant disregard for the law, court rules, and judicial conduct rules.” Her removal, which also bars her from holding any judicial office in Georgia for seven years, came after a Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) investigation found a pattern of willful misconduct throughout her brief tenure.
The case against Judge Peterson was unprecedented in its scope, involving an initial 50 counts of alleged misconduct. The Supreme Court’s final decision focused on the most egregious violations that demonstrated her unfitness for the judiciary.
The Most Troubling Allegation: Abuse of Power
The most severe incident cited by the Supreme Court involved the gross misuse of her contempt power:
- Jailed for an Error: Judge Peterson held a woman in criminal contempt and imposed the maximum penalty of 20 days in jail and a fine. The woman’s offense? She came to the court seeking to correct an error on her marriage certificate, where she had mistakenly used her uncle’s name instead of her estranged biological father’s name.
- Lack of Due Process: The JQC found the jailing was done “without explanation or justification,” and without providing the woman proper notice of the possible contempt finding, evincing a willful disregard for basic requirements of due process.
A Pattern of Unprofessionalism and Misconduct
In addition to the contempt abuse, the investigation uncovered multiple instances of poor temperament and misuse of office:
- Misconduct Towards County Personnel: She was cited for allowing unauthorized after-hours access to the courthouse without proper security screening. When subsequent security measures were implemented, she made unjustified requests for deputies to work overtime at taxpayer expense.
- Improper Demeanor: She inappropriately pressed a panic button in her chambers—which is reserved for emergencies—simply because the deputy assigned to escort her to the courtroom was late. The Hearing Panel “expressly discredited” her testimony that she didn’t know the button was only for emergencies.
- Lack of Candor: A critical factor in the removal was the finding that Judge Peterson gave false testimony during the ethics hearing itself, severely damaging her credibility and proving a fundamental lack of integrity.
- Improper Use of Office: She engaged in hostile exchanges with members of her neighborhood homeowners association while she had a personal lawsuit pending against the group, misusing the prestige of her judicial office in a private dispute.
Conclusion: A Final Ruling on Unfitness
The Georgia Supreme Court’s decision to immediately remove Judge Christina Peterson was a direct consequence of her actions, which the court concluded undermined public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. Her multiple, flagrant violations—committed despite ethics charges being pending—demonstrated a persistent inability to adhere to the ethical code. The final ruling serves as a decisive statement that a judicial officer must be held to the highest standard of conduct, and a pattern of abusing power and disregarding the law will result in the loss of their position.