Former Douglas County judge Christina Peterson is suing the City of Atlanta, seeking $50 million in damages.
Peterson’s lawsuit claims she suffered injury as a “direct result” of the city’s actions following her arrest for punching a cop outside the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on June 20, 2024.
In her federal lawsuit, Peterson claimed she “suffered physical injury, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of liberty, reputational harm, professional damage and ongoing economic and non-economic losses.”
The Georgia Supreme Court removed Peterson from the bench following her arrest.
Peterson denied being under the influence of alcohol and said she only had one glass of wine to drink.
At the time, Peterson claimed the officer drove her around for hours to “cover his tracks” before transporting her to jail.
The lawsuit also claims that even after a felony charge against Peterson was dropped, the “dissemination of misleading arrest materials” further damaged her reputation.
Peterson was the first Black judge appointed to the bench at Douglas County probate court in 2020. She is no longer a probate judge.
During her term on the bench, Peterson was hit with 50 ethics violations. 20 violations were dismissed by a JQC disciplinary panel. But the 3-person panel recommended that Peterson be removed from the bench.
