On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Law&Crime reported that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is engaged in a public dispute with a state appellate judge, E. Trenton “Trent” Brown III, who previously played a role in the disqualification of Willis from the election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies. The conflict stems from comments made by Judge Brown, which Willis alleges demonstrate bias and prejudice against her.
The initial disqualification of Willis from the Trump RICO case was a significant blow, but the more impactful ruling came in December 2024 when Judge Brown authored a 2-1 majority opinion from the Georgia Court of Appeals. This opinion went beyond the trial court’s order, which had required either Willis or special prosecutor Nathan Wade to step aside due to their romantic relationship.
Brown’s ruling found that the situation warranted a “rare” remedy due to a “significant appearance of impropriety” by Willis. The appellate court concluded that the trial court erred by not disqualifying Willis and her office, stating that disqualification was mandated to restore public confidence in the proceedings.
More recently, an opinion piece published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 8, 2026, highlighted Judge Brown’s criticisms of Willis, suggesting a “revenge tour” and accusing her of targeting political opponents.
Brown, who is currently facing reelection, stated that he believes Willis convinced his opponent, Will Wooten, a deputy DA from Willis’s office, to run against him. Brown further asserted that Willis “would prefer a judiciary that operates in fear of her, as opposed to fair and impartial judges concerned with the proper application of the law.”
In response to these developments, Willis has filed a motion seeking Judge Brown’s recusal from any remaining cases involving her office. Her filing argues that Brown’s public statements indicate partiality, bias, and prejudice against her. The motion contends that once a judge publicly declares a district attorney is seeking “revenge” and prefers judges who “fear” her over those who are fair and impartial, the judge’s impartiality cannot be reasonably questioned in cases where that DA represents the state.
Judge Brown, in turn, responded to reporting on the motion by stating that it is his “personal opinion that Fani Willis is an unethical person” and that he strives to abide by the law and judicial canons. He also alluded to well-known efforts by Willis to recruit challengers for him and other judges in the lead-up to his reelection.
Source: Law&Crime
