On Thursday, December 12, 2024, Law.com reported that Atlanta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Shermela Williams is set to learn the exact dates of her upcoming final misconduct hearing before the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) of Georgia. A scheduling conference is scheduled to take place at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center on December 19, where the judge’s counsel and JQC prosecutors will discuss the timeline for the final hearing.
The announcement was made in a brief one-page order by JQC Hearing Panel Presiding Officer Judge Brian Rickman, who serves on the Georgia Court of Appeals. In his order, Rickman indicated that the primary purpose of the conference was to finalize the schedule for the hearing concerning Williams’ alleged judicial misconduct.
This scheduling conference follows a recent order in which Judge Rickman granted JQC Director Courtney Veal’s request to withhold certain memos related to the investigation from Judge Williams and her legal team. Veal argued that these documents, prepared by a former JQC investigator, fell under the work product doctrine, making them exempt from disclosure under JQC Rule 22. In response, Williams’ counsel contended that the Civil Practice Act does not apply to these proceedings, challenging the JQC’s authority to withhold the documents.
Judge Williams has been under scrutiny since formal ethics charges were announced by Veal in June. The allegations against her stem from three complaints filed with the JQC between 2022 and 2023, focusing on her management of at least eight cases since her appointment in 2021. The complaints include claims of engaging in ex parte communications, delaying case resolutions by failing to issue timely final orders in family court, and lacking impartiality in child custody decisions. In total, Williams faces 17 counts of alleged ethical violations.
The charges allege that Judge Williams failed to uphold the independence and integrity expected of the judiciary, allowed personal relationships to influence her judicial decisions, and violated rules governing ex parte communications as outlined in the Code of Judicial Conduct.
In response to the formal charges, Williams’ counsel submitted a 19-page answer in July, outlining multiple defenses and arguing for the dismissal of the charges. They claimed the JQC lacked a factual or legal basis for the disciplinary actions proposed against Williams, asserting that the JQC exceeded its constitutional authority.
While JQC Director Veal declined to comment on the case, Williams’ co-counsel provided several key updates. Notably, they confirmed that Williams will complete her term as a family division judge on January 1, 2025, after fulfilling her two-year term followed by a two-year extension. Under court rules, a judge cannot serve more than four years in the Family Division, prompting Williams to transition out of that role at the beginning of the new year.
Despite the ongoing misconduct proceedings, Williams remains in her position, having been re-elected to another four-year term in May 2024. Her counsel emphasized that she has not been removed from office or agreed to any settlement regarding the misconduct allegations.
Co-counsel Jamala McFadden expressed that Judge Williams is eager to resolve the JQC matter, stressing the importance of ensuring fair treatment throughout the process. McFadden pointed out that Williams has successfully closed an average of 100 cases per month since taking office, arguing that the delays in rulings cited in the JQC’s charges do not represent her overall performance.
Source: Law.com
