News
News

Watch: Fulton judge assigned to Trump’s case rocks out

See Scott McAfee performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” Jimi Hendrix-style in high school
Scott McAfee, the judge assigned to the huge racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others, has once performed as a cellist with Emory University’s symphony orchestra. (YouTube)

Credit: YouTube

Credit: YouTube

Scott McAfee, the judge assigned to the huge racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others, has once performed as a cellist with Emory University’s symphony orchestra. (YouTube)
By and Bill Rankin
Aug 17, 2023

Fulton County Superior Court judge. Former prosecutor. Award-winning trial court lawyer. Former state inspector general. Scuba diver. Gifted tennis athlete. And Eagle Scout.

Scott McAfee, 34, the judge assigned to the huge racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others, has done a lot of impressive things. Among them: Performing as a cellist with Emory University’s symphony orchestra.

Watch him here as a senior in North Cobb High School’s talent show, performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” Jimi Hendrix-style while wearing a patriotic headband. Yes, that is him playfully showboating by using his teeth on his instrument. And, yes, that is someone in the audience yelling for him to throw off his shirt.

ExploreRead The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s profile of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee here

About the Authors

Jeremy Redmon is an award-winning journalist, essayist and educator with more than three decades of experience reporting for newspapers. He has written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2005.

Follow Jeremy Redmon on facebookFollow Jeremy Redmon on twitter

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.

Follow Bill Rankin on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Georgia Power, PSC staff strike deal for $16B expansion to power data centers

Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission’s staff unveiled a deal that would allow the utility to build huge amounts of new power plants, mostly to serve data centers.

DeKalb unveils long-awaited expansion of animal shelter

The expansion of the shelter in Chamblee consists of 10 climate-controlled kennel buildings, each with indoor and outdoor access and each designed to house a dozen dogs.

Soldier charged in Fort Stewart shooting scheduled for arraignment

Army Sgt. Quornelius S. Radford, accused of shooting and injuring soldiers at Georgia's Fort Stewart, is scheduled to appear at a military court Friday for his arraignment.

The Latest

The late David Ralston, who had a phone encounter with President Donald Trump similar to his colleague, Brad Raffensperger.

Credit: AJC

A.M. ATL: Who’s calling?

2h ago

A.M. ATL: A mystery opponent

DeKalb unveils long-awaited expansion of animal shelter

Featured

Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Drugs, Tasers, restraint: Dozens die in Georgia police custody

Thirty-one deaths in Georgia occurred in the past decade as law enforcement officers used restraint methods on suspects.

POLITICALLY GEORGIA

5 takeaways from Fani Willis’ state Senate testimony

The Fulton County district attorney clashed with Republican state senators as she defended her work on a now dismissed election interference case.

Georgia loses 190,000 enrollees in first steps of 2026 ACA enrollment

Expiring pandemic-era federal subsidies are set to spike premiums for some enrollees.