A Georgia judge is claiming that her arrest at an Atlanta-area nightclub was a “setup” after she was caught on police body camera striking an officer in an altercation where she says she was only trying to help a woman who was being attacked.
Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson was arrested at the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge in Buckhead shortly after 3:00 a.m. Thursday when police responded to a fight “between two separate parties,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
While Peterson was “not involved in the initial altercation,” according to the arresting officer, he said he was “approached and struck with a closed fist by the accused, Christina Peterson.”
“Ms. Peterson then forcibly pushed the officer in the chest and kept swiping his hands away as he attempted to assist the female being escorted out,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a press release.
“Ms. Peterson pushed the officer in the chest again and that is when she was subsequently placed into custody.”
The 38-year-old judge has since been charged with battery and felony obstruction, with body cam footage released by Atlanta Police Department (APD) showing her striking the cop and screaming “let her fucking go” as he attempts to break up the dispute.
As Peterson was arrested after putting her hands on the officer, she repeatedly refused to provide her name and appeared to make a veiled threat.
“The last person that ever tried me like this died 30 days later,” she could allegedly be heard saying in the video. “I pray for you.”
As the footage progressed to booking Peterson into jail, she remained combative and continued refusing to reveal her identity.
“This was a setup,” Peterson said in an Instagram post shortly after her release from custody. “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 went on to complain that she suffered from “bruises, black eye, swollen knee, and a felony charge” at the hands of the officer
“They will stop at nothing to tarnish my character. God help us! We need justice,” the judge added.
At a news conference Friday afternoon Peterson’s attorney said the charges against his client should be dropped and called on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to review the case.
“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,” lawyer Marvin Arrington Jr. said. “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.”
Alexandria Love backed up Peterson at the news conference, claiming the judge “didn’t mean to hit the officer. The officer swooped in and grabbed me up. He didn’t even care to see the big man that was actually brutally hitting me in my face. [Peterson] thought I was still being hurt and attacked,” Love explained.
“I think in the heat of the moment a lot of things happened and maybe the officers got confused,” Arrington stated.
Prior to this arrest, Peterson has been the subject of a judicial misconduct investigation in which she faces 30 charges for allegedly violating the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
