Difference between revisions of "Faux Process And Rubber-Stamped Orders"

In 2022, I was hired by a defendant in a civil matter in Fulton County that should have been closed with a 5-minute hearing by a competent judge. However, the multiple judges presiding over the matter were not interested in making decisions based on the facts and the law. Rather, they had their own agenda and that case remains open after two years. After multiple motions to recuse the presiding judge, the Fulton County judiciary recruited Judge Grant Brantley from Cobb County to take over the case. With Judge Brantley assigned to the case, I had high hopes that my client would finally get a fair shake and the case would be dismissed as it should have been over two years ago. That was not the case. Rather, Judge Brantley took the baton from the previous judge, executed the "rubber-stamp" process like a science in favor of the opposing party. Judge Brantley's rulings completely misapplied the law and, to an experienced lawyer or judge, it would appear that Judge Brantley knew absolutely nothing about the applicable law. That case is still pending and, again, it should have been dismissed in 5-minutes and closed over two years ago.

The Georgia Code of Judicial Ethics bars the mere ''appearance'' of impropriety. As to the practices and habits implemented by Judge Brantley, it "appears" that recklessly rushed rulings and "rubber-stamped orders" are his primary go-to tools for closing out cases. He's simply not preparing for cases over which he presides and blitzes to the conclusion he wants without properly verifying the law or facts to his cases. And to justify these practices, Brantley asserts that "If the losing party doesn't like it, they can deal with it on appeal." This way of rapidly closing cases is severely flawed as many people cannot afford the long-drawn-out appellate process and, in the meantime, their rights and liberties can be trampled with no recourse pending appeal. Further, appellate judges are busy too and to "pass the buck" onto the Court of Appeals is an irresponsible use of State resources and doing so causes irreparable harm (especially if it involves the custody of a child).