GA Judge Ousted For Smoking Pot, Pulling A Gun In The Courthouse
Jillian Rayfield | September 22, 2011, 11:57AM


Georgia Magistrate Judge Anthony Peters was thrown off the bench after a pattern of bizarre behavior that included pot-smoking, kicking in doors, and pulling a gun out in the courthouse and asking a fellow judge: "I am not scared. Are you all scared?"

The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously voted to oust Peters earlier this month, ruling that he should be "permanently removed from his position as a judge and barred from ever holding or seeking elected or appointed judicial office in the State of Georgia."

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In June 2010 Peters made a call to a local TV talk show, and according to court documents,
"after initially trying to disguise his voice with multiple foreign accents while speaking with the Catoosa County Sheriff (who was being interviewed on the show), told the Sheriff that he had 'crapped himself' and that the Sheriff was a 'spineless jelly spine.'"

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"Notwithstanding Judge Peters' personal belief that he has already received appropriate discipline, the record reveals that Judge Peters has not sought treatment for his admitted drug problems and has done nothing to show that he has any ability to live up to the high standard of conduct expected of members of the judiciary in Georgia," the court opinion says.

Considering that Georgia's "high standard" involves executing quite possibly innocent people, it's hard to take that standard of conduct very seriously.

Georgia Magistrate Judge Anthony Peters was thrown off the bench after a pattern of bizarre behavior that included pot-smoking, kicking in doors, and pulling a gun out in the courthouse and asking a fellow judge: "I am not scared. Are you all scared?"

That is bizarre, considering that pot smokers have trouble getting off the couch, much less kicking in doors and brandishing guns.

I suspect he did this at a time when he was out of stash and substituting alcohol for his drug of choice.

So the drug, the acidhead and the pothead are trapped in a building. They come to the exit and it's locked, with a sign that says "open at 8am tomorrow."

The drunk says "let's bust down the goddamned door!"

The acidhead says "let's turn into butterflies and float through the keyhole."

The pothead rolls another joint, turns on his iPod, and sits down to wait until tomorrow morning.

A lawsuit has been filed against Fergus County District Court Judge E. Wayne Phillips by a female law clerk who alleges that the judge slapped her in the buttocks with a legal file.

Britt T. Long filed the civil lawsuit in Fergus County District Court on Sept. 12, alleging that Phillips, her boss, caused her “extreme personal stress and embarrassment, anxiety, stress, interrupted sleep, elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, and other symptoms associated with extreme anxiety.”

Long is a lawyer who has worked in the judge’s Lewistown office inside the county courthouse as a law clerk since 2008. The lawsuit alleges a civil claim of assault and seeks an unspecified amount for lost wages, medical bills and punitive damages.

The lawsuit also asserts that Phillips should resign from his elected position “to remedy and prevent further instances of this and other violations of his obligations as a judge damaging to the public trust.”

When I learned about this lawsuit out of Montana (via Morning Docket), I thought it might be from The Onion or an old episode of Ally McBeal. Reports the Billings Gazette: “A lawsuit has been filed against Fergus County District Court Judge E. Wayne Phillips by a female law clerk who alleges that the judge slapped her in the buttocks with a legal file.”

If the clerk’s allegation is true, was Judge Phillips’s action inappropriate? Certainly. Was it rude? Most definitely. But should it spawn a civil lawsuit, as well as possible criminal charges? Absolutely not.

Above the Law thinks the victim needs thicker skin.

Above the Law thinks the victim needs thicker skin.

Former OK Judge Loses Pension Over Penis Pump

A former judge in Oklahoma has lost his pension after he was convicted of indecent exposure for using a penis pump under his robes during trials.

Donald Thompson, formerly a judge in Creek County, Oklahoma, was found guilty in 2006 of four felony counts for using the penis pump, and wound up serving 20 months in prison.

On Tuesday the state Supreme Court upheld a ruling that stripped Thompson of his $7,789 a month in pension benefits in 2006. Thompson had asked for his full benefits to be restored from his over 20 years on the bench.

The court unanimously upheld the initial ruling, by the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees, which determined that Thompson had violated his oath of office after he was convicted.

I don't even know what a penis pump is (and I don't want to know, TYVM).

But if it was under his robes, how is that indecent exposure?

“Court reporters observed the felonious exposure of Mr. Thompson’s private parts, and testified to the fact during the criminal trial. That trial resulted in conviction of felonies. Those felonies violated Mr. Thompson’s oath of office.”

“Court reporters observed the felonious exposure of Mr. Thompson’s private parts, and testified to the fact during the criminal trial. That trial resulted in conviction of felonies. Those felonies violated Mr. Thompson’s oath of office.”

I had the same question Foggy did... under the robes, how could it be indecent exposure.

mimi wrote...

That must be a very unusual courtroom layout. I've never seen one where that would be possible. Interesting anyway... sorta.

...jurors reported hearing "whooshing" sounds as he used the device

Must be how Justice went blind.

A Texas family law judge who was videotaped beating his cerebal-palsy-stricken daughter with a belt is being investigated today by police.

Judge William Adams, who has ruled on child abuse cases throughout his career, is seen in a webcam video from 2004 beating his daughter with a belt and cursing at her for close to 10 minutes. The daughter, Hillery Adams, secretely taped the encounter, but only recently uploaded it to YouTube and the social sharing site Reddit.

"Judge William Adams took a belt to his own teenage daughter as punishment for using the internet to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time," Hillary Adams, now 23, wrote in the text accompanying the video.

Hillary Adams was 16 when the video was made, and, as a lifelong sufferer of cerebral palsy, said she had a passion for technology that her father detested. She said she received the beating for using her computer when she was forbidden from doing so.

the judge is going to be on anderson cooper (cnn) right now (after commercial).

Did I miss it?