Axed Georgia Judge Releases Cell Phone Footage After Arrest For Allegedly Assaulting Officer

The Probate judge in Georgia who was arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer has released cell phone footage to help her case.

A former probate judge in Georgia who was arrested last week for allegedly assaulting a police officer has released cell phone footage in an attempt to help her case.

Former Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson, 38, says there’s more to her case than what was shown in police bodycam footage, 11 Alive reports. Her attorney, Marvin Arrington, shared newly obtained cell phone footage of the melee that ignited ahead of Peterson’s arrest.

A clip shared online shows a woman and man fighting outside of Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge in Buckhead, Atlanta. The woman, who identifies herself as Alexandria Love, and another man exchange blows with a man seen punching Love several times and knocking her to the ground.

Eventually, Peterson enters the frame and tries to break up the fight. That’s when an officer stepped in to stop the commotion. But Arrington says Peterson was so distracted by the chaos that she had no idea an officer was nearby when she allegedly struck him.

“She didn’t even know the officer was there,” Arrington said.

Arrest warrants say Peterson was taken into custody after hitting the officer who arrived to de-escalate the situation. Body camera footage shows her being handcuffed while onlookers demand for officers to let her go. Another video sees Peterson arguing with an officer from inside the squad car while refusing to identify herself.

Authorities released the bodycam footage on Friday, June 21, before the case was adjudicated. Police remained vague about why the footage was released.

“This is an open and active investigation. There are no further details to release at this time,” the Atlanta Police Department said.

On Tuesday, June 25, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Peterson should be removed from office after an ongoing investigation into separate ethics charges.

“Accordingly, it is ordered that Judge Christina Peterson of the Douglas County Probate Court be removed from office, effective upon the date of this opinion,” the court ruled.

Her removal follows the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s finding of “systemic incompetence” and recommending her removal in April. Thirty counts were brought against Peterson, with 12 warranting discipline from the court. Following her removal, Peterson will not be eligible to be elected or appointed to any future judicial position in Georgia for seven years.

Peterson appeared on Audacy’s V-103 “Big Tigger Morning Show,” where she confirmed her removal from the court and the charges against her. Peterson seemingly credited her removal to all the odds against her since being elected as the first Black female Democrat to hold the Douglas County probate judge position.

“Ever since I was elected, people started filing charges, frivolous complaints against me. Baseless complaints,” she told Big Tigger.

The complaints resulted in 50 counts brought against her. Twenty were dismissed, a hearing panel removed 10, and the 20 that were left garnered her official removal.

“It’s kind of how they ran it in the media. They tried me in the court of public opinion instead of really looking to see if I did anything,” Peterson explained. “Nothing I have done has been willful.”