Former chief judge indicted by Fulton grand jury
A Fulton County grand jury on Wednesday handed up a two-count indictment against a former chief judge who resigned in disgrace amid charges that she behaved in a tyrannical manner and locked up some drug court defendants indefinitely, according to lawyers familiar with the investigation.
Amanda Williams, once the influential chief judge of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, stepped down from the bench in January 2012 after the state Judicial Qualifications Commission filed more than a dozen formal ethics charges against her. The commission accused Williams of making false statements during its investigation.
The Fulton grand jury’s indictment accuses Williams of making false statements and violating her oath of office.
After the state judicial watchdog agency filed the ethics charges, State Attorney General Sam Olens appointed Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard to conduct a criminal investigation.
Among the ethics charges against Williams was that she locked up defendants indefinitely, cutting off their access to relatives and lawyers.
One woman given an open-ended sentence by Williams in 2008 attempted suicide after two months in jail. The woman had previously been flagged for having suicidal tendencies.
The judicial watchdog agency also accused Williams of using “rude, abusive and insulting language” to some of her drug court defendants.
Williams came under intense scrutiny in 2011 when the public radio show, “This American Life, ” broadcast “Very Tough Love, ” a segment that gave a harsh review of her drug court.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
