The Judicial Qualifications Commission of Georgia kicked off an ethics hearing Tuesday for a Georgia judge accused of making improper social media posts and judicial judgment calls.

During the first of what may become four daylong proceedings, arguments centered heavily around several social media posts shared by Douglas County Probate Judge Christina J. Peterson. Peterson denied acting in bad faith, but JQC Director Courtney Veal cited a February 2021 Investigative Panel interrogation transcript that inferred the judge’s alleged violations of the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct had been “intentional and not a mistake.”

‘Not a Mistake’

(L-R) Judge Robert McBurney, Judge Dax Lopez and Richard Hyde. Courtesy photos (L-R) Judge Robert McBurney, Judge Dax Lopez and Richard Hyde. (Courtesy photos)