A confidential source has provided Sandrarose.com with documents that they say is definitive proof of a financial connection between the sitting judge of the bitterly contested Raymond vs Raymond case and one of Usher Raymond’s attorneys.
As I told you earlier, gossip website TMZ reports that Tameka Foster-Raymond is planning an appeal of Judge Bensonetta Tipton-Lane’s controversial ruling to award primary custody of her sons to her ex-husband, singer Usher Raymond.
Foster-Raymond cites “bias” in Friday’s “unfair” ruling after she learned that the law firm representing Usher Raymond contributed $1,278 to Judge Lane’s campaign. The law firm, Warner, Mayoue, Bates and Nolan also threw a reception for the judge that helped raised an additional $24,000 for the judge’s re-election coffers.
John Mayoue was one of the attorneys who represented Raymond in the successful child custody case.
The Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, describes the “basic minimal ethical requirements” of judicial conduct in the state of Georgia. And in order to meet the basic ethical requirements, judges and candidates are encouraged to “set up a campaign committee to raise and solicit contributions” to their individual campaigns.
A “Campaign contribution disclosure report” is required to be filed by all judges as part of the amended “Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010”. Judge Tipton Lane filed her Campaign Contribution Disclosure report, as required by law, in 2008 — the same year she sought re-election to the Georgia Superior court, Atlanta circuit.
It wouldn’t take a shrewd individual very long to locate that contribution disclosure report, and go over it with a fine tooth comb to find the name of an attorney who contributed a tidy sum to a judge’s campaign.
Please note that Sandrarose.com is not accusing anyone of using any authority or leverage — financial or otherwise — to unduly influence the outcome of any particular court case.
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