A legal dispute begun when Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk sued Fulton Superior, State and Magistrate Court Clerk Cathelene “Tina” Robinson, demanding changes in the way the clerk’s office handled Magistrate Court duties, quietly settled in August but not before costing county taxpayers $174,000 in fees for outside counsel.  

According to figures provided by the Fulton County Law Department, Kirk’s lawyer Bondurant Mixson & Elmore partner John Rains IV billed the county $51,333 for his services.