The Atlanta Police Department early Thursday released a trove of additional footage showing what happened leading up to the June 20 arrest of former Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson.
Peterson was removed from the bench by the Georgia Supreme Court on June 25 in response to 30 charges of judicial misconduct. The ruling came days after Peterson, 38, was arrested at the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on Peachtree Road. She was charged with battery and felony obstruction, accused of punching an Atlanta police officer.
The criminal case did not factor into the state Supreme Court’s decision, which was based on Peterson’s conduct as a judicial candidate and her time in office.
The Atlanta Police Department initially released footage of the arrest. The more complete footage was released at 1:17 a.m. on July 4. “The additional footage added contains the entire duration of the arrestee transport, front and rear dash camera, and additional responding officers’ BWC (body worn cameras,” the department said. The additional footage is posted here.
Peterson’s attorney, Marvin Arrington, said he hopes the charges will be dismissed.
Arrington said he’ll seek to quash Peterson’s arrest warrant, claiming that the arresting officer lied about being punched.
“As the investigation continues to unfold and more facts come to light, we believe that Judge Christina Peterson will be completely exonerated of these charges,” Arrington said during a recent news conference. “At least two eyewitnesses have stated that Judge Christina Peterson only tried to help Ms. (Alexandria) Love, who was being brutally and viciously attacked by a man outside of the Red Martini nightclub.”
Peterson did not speak during the news conference but previously called the arrest a setup.
“Officer initially claimed he was charging me with disorderly conduct, all for trying to help a woman who was being attacked by men then took me to jail and I find out I’m being charged with a felony now,” she said in a social media post.
“Here I sit with bruises, black eye, swollen knee, and a felony charge because the Officer, security, and men there chose not to help this victim and instead find a way to charge me with a crime,” Peterson said. “Where is the protect and serve? Wow. They will stop at nothing to tarnish my character. God help us! We need justice.”
In a June 21 statement, the Atlanta Police Department said Peterson repeatedly pushed the officer in the chest and swiped his hands away as he tried to assist another woman.
Douglasville lawyer Valerie Vie was appointed and has been sworn in as the county’s probate judge and will serve the remainder of the term, ending Jan. 1, 2025. Unchallenged in the November general election, Vie is expected to then begin her own four-year term.
