A Georgia judge who pointed a gun at himself while at the courthouse, berated his boss in a bizarre televised rant and admitted to regularly smoking marijuana was ousted from the bench for life by the state’s top court Tuesday. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
Funk Flex
Find Flex On Google+
The Georgia Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion barred Catoosa County Magistrate Anthony Peters from ever holding another judicial office in Georgia, concluding he 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.”
Peters had said during an April hearing that the violations took place during a “rough patch” in his life, and his attorney blamed his behavior on prescription drug abuse after his client was involved in a devastating 2005 ATV accident.
His attorney Chris Townley said the ruling came as no surprise, and he said his client is taking the news in stride. He said Peters is doing “very well,” and has found work for a north Georgia firm. Peters’ number was disconnected.
Peters, who is not an attorney, was a detective for the county sheriff’s office for 10 years before he was appointed as a magistrate judge in 1997. But his demeanor started changing after a difficult 2005, which began when his father committed suicide and grew worse after the ATV accident. The magistrate was taking heavy doses of pain medications by 2009 after surgeries didn’t ease the pain, his lawyer said.
