Even if an investigation proves that a Griffin Circuit Superior Court judge and the public defender assigned to his courtroom engaged in an affair, former clients of the lawyer may have a tough time proving that such a conflict of interest requires they get a new trial, lawyers from both sides of the criminal justice process said Monday.
The district attorney and the chief public defender in the Griffin Judicial Circuit confirmed Monday that they had been asked by the circuit’s chief judge to look into allegations of an affair between Judge Paschal A. English and Griffin supervising public defender Kimberly H. Cornwell. English resigned from his post last week, and Cornwell was suspended from her job.
