The judges they be toppling...

I know many are looking eagerly for salacious details on the current scandal involving the toppling judges in the Griffin judicial circuit. Gossip abounds and lots of speculation. Two Griffin Judicial Circuit judges, Johnnie Caldwell and Paschal English, abruptly resigned, one after the other.

I'd tell you what I've heard, but it would be gossip and sorry, I may hear things from my friends about things, but I won't share unless it's verifiable fact. Much as I dislike what I'm hearing the two judges did, they have families who are suffering. And, whatever mistakes they may have made in the personal aspects of their lives, they have a long career behind them that shouldn't be completely tainted.

Unfortunately, if the allegations prove true regarding Paschal English we're going to have a mess on our hands. Any case the public defender he purportedly had an affair with brought before his court is going to be reviewed and possibly tossed. I don't know all the potential ramifications, but if I had lost a case defended by the lady in question and English were the judge, I'd probably want another shot. Who knows? We haven't heard the end of this, although they are doing their darnedest to keep it quiet.

One has to wonder what else is perculating and soon to be revealed... It's sad to see decades of work and what should have been the end of distinguished careers end in the mud and mire of scandal and bad judgment.

Latest article in the AJC goes a bit deeper:

DA probes alleged relationship between judge, public defender
Fayette County’s district attorney and chief public defender have been ordered to investigate allegations that Paschal English, who resigned as a judge on April 23 after decades on the bench, was having an inappropriate relationship with a public defender who appeared before him.
http://www.ajc.com/news/fayette/da-probes-alleged-relationship-512143.html