A former US judge, removed from office for misconduct, has launched a federal lawsuit against the City of Atlanta and a police officer, claiming they used "excessive force" during her arrest outside a nightclub last year.
The Arrest and Allegations of Excessive Force
Former Douglas County probate judge Christina Peterson filed the suit last Tuesday, accusing Atlanta police of "violently" slamming her to the ground and applying "compressive force" to her neck and back. The incident occurred in 2024 outside the Red Martini restaurant and lounge in the Buckhead district.
Peterson was initially charged with simple battery and felony obstruction after police stated she punched an officer working security. However, prosecutors later dropped the case. Released body-camera footage shows Peterson running towards an officer and a security guard during a dispute on the sidewalk, then pushing and swiping at the officer before being taken to the ground and handcuffed.
Conflicting Narratives and Aftermath
While restrained on the pavement, Peterson is heard shouting, "Don't touch me!" as officers repeatedly asked for her name. Later, inside a patrol car, she told officers to "Google me" and stated, "Take me where you wanna take me." A preliminary police report suggested she appeared to be under the influence at the time.
Peterson has consistently argued the footage was "taken out of context," maintaining she was acting as a Good Samaritan by intervening in a fight involving another woman, Alexandria Love. Love supported this account at a press conference the day after the arrest, saying Peterson was "the only one that helped me" after she was "viciously attacked."
Peterson's attorney, Marvin Arrington Jr., commented, "The idea that a Good Samaritan who was helping a woman that was being viciously attacked could be arrested and the man who was viciously attacking the woman did not get arrested speaks to other issues."
Judicial Removal and Ethics Violations
Just days after the arrest, the Georgia Supreme Court removed Peterson from office, concluding that 12 of 30 ethics charges warranted disciplinary action. The ruling barred her from holding any judicial position in the state for seven years.
This decision followed an April 2024 finding by the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which accused her of "systemic incompetence." One notable case involved PJ Skelton, whom Peterson jailed for 20 days over an attempt to correct her father's name on a marriage certificate. A judicial panel later found Skelton acted in good faith and that Peterson gave "untruthful" testimony.
Other cited misconduct included holding after-hours courthouse weddings without security screening, promoting her acting career on social media, and ignoring a sheriff's directive. Investigators also noted she kept all birth and death certificate fees on top of her salary, pushing her annual compensation above $265,000.
Her new lawsuit marks her first legal action against the city over the arrest, challenging both the officers' tactics and the official narrative of the event.
