Difference between revisions of "Flournoy Train Leads Newbie Off A Cliff"

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{{#seo:
|title=Flournoy Train Leads Newbie Off A Cliff
|description=Cobb Superior Court Judge Sonja N. Brown has a rough start to her tenure after hiring staff attorney of former Judge Robert E. Flournoy III
|keywords=Cobb County, Judge Sonja N. Brown, Cobb County Superior Court, Sonja Brown, Judge Sonja Brown, Sonja N. Brown, Judge Brown, Cobb County, Flournoy entourage, Flournoy train, Cobb County corruption, staff attorney, Matt Freedman, Matthew Freedman, wikilaw
}}
[[File:FlournoyBrown pic.png|left|200px|Judge Sonja N. Brown (top) and Judge Robert E. Flournoy III (bottom)]]
=On The Cobb Taxpayer Dime...=
=On The Cobb Taxpayer Dime...=
Cobb County Superior Court’s newest addition, the Honorable Sonja J. Brown, took the bench for the first time this past January, 2023. From the get-go she has had the benefit of experience from her veteran staff attorney Matthew Freedman, who served her predecessor, now Senior Judge, Robert E. Flournoy, III, for many years. While Judge Brown appears to be benefitting from the continued employment of Judge Flournoy's former staff, perhaps the Cobb County taxpayers should be weary of her selection.
Cobb County Superior Court’s newest addition, the Honorable Sonja N. Brown, took the bench for the first time this past January, 2023. From the get-go she has had the benefit of experience from her veteran staff attorney Matthew Freedman, who served her predecessor, now Senior Judge, Robert E. Flournoy, III, for many years. While Judge Brown appears to be benefitting from the continued employment of Judge Flournoy's former staff, perhaps the Cobb County taxpayers should be weary of her selection.


And why should the Cobb County taxpayer care? That is a question for Judge Sonja Brown, as the real question is: Why is Judge Sonja Brown and the Cobb County Superior Court using its resources to litigate matters outside of Cobb's jurisdiction?
And why should the Cobb County taxpayer care? Or more accurately put: Why is Judge Sonja Brown using her time and the Cobb County Superior Court resources to resolve matters outside of Cobb's jurisdiction? Perhaps the lingering influence of Judge Flournoy's ''entourage'' has its vice grip on the newbie Judge Brown.


==Staff Attorneys - The Phantom Menace==
==Staff Attorneys - The Phantom Menace==
Conducts legal research, drafts court orders and memoranda and provides legal advice to a judge in the Fulton County Court System.
Essential Duties
This job description indicates, in general, the nature and level of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities. Incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required.

Assists the assigned judge in the management of cases including reviewing and analyzing filings and motions, hearings and judgments; facilitating orderly case management and court proceedings; prioritizing the flow of work; and drafting orders and other legal documents. Develops or evaluates a strategy for handling legal cases or negotiations as assigned. Provides legal advice and opinions to judges and court staff. Performs in-depth analysis and research of legal matters. Prepares legal summaries of facts and arguments for cases to be brought before the court. Organizes the presentation of legal cases. Drafts legal memoranda on court cases and specific points of law as required by assigned judge. Reviews legal opinions and various legal publications for research purposes. Stays current on relevant laws, regulations, and court processes and procedures. Serves as a liaison between the Superior Court and the public. Oversees a variety of functions between court personnel, staff, and attorneys.
A hidden and nearly ''taboo'' influence over the outcome of any court case is that of a judge's staff attorney. Staff attorneys provide an array of tasks for their assigned judges which include, but are not limited to, the following:


==The Staff Attorney Is An Extension of Their Judge==
*Conduct legal research
The code of judicial conduct views court staff merely as an extension of a judge. It’s an unspoken truth that a court’s staff has ex parte influence over a judge. Thus, a judge’s staff attorney could very well be the biggest influence over the outcome of a case.
*Draft court orders and memoranda
*Provide legal advice and opinions to the judge
*Assist the assigned judge in the management of cases
*Serve as a liaison between the Superior Court and the public.
 
Considering the role of a staff attorney and, in turn, the presumed amount of time spent with the assigned judge, it is safe to assume that a judge's staff attorney has a far greater influence over a judge's final order than any party or their respective attorneys can.


==The Runaway Train…==
==The Runaway Train…==
Staff Attorney Matt Freedman spent years under the guidance of Robert E. Flournoy III who is perhaps one of Cobb County’s most controversial Superior Court judges, not known for his integrity but well known for his poor temperament, lack of self control and sometimes incoherent rambling from the bench. Many in the legal community credit Judge Flournoy as the cause for Judge Robert D. Leonard II being challenged in the 2022 election. As the story goes, Judge Leonard refused to disqualify Judge Flournoy from presiding over a case that involved Judge Flournoy’s own attorney and campaign treasurer and, because Judge Flournoy was not up for re-election, Judge Leonard found himself in a fight to save his job against two challengers in the 2022 Cobb County Superior Court judicial election.
[[File:SB RF Train2.png|left|280px|Political cartoon of Judge Sonja N. Brown (left) and Judge Robert E. Flournoy III (right)]]
Staff Attorney Matt Freedman spent years under the guidance of Robert E. Flournoy III who is perhaps one of Cobb County’s most controversial Superior Court judges, not known for his integrity but well known for his poor temperament, lack of self control and sometimes incoherent rambling from the bench.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Child_endangering_Cobb_County_judge_prepares_for_senior_judgeship#Cronyism_and_Bullying_from_the_Bench ''Child endangering judge prepares for senior judgeship'', by Deborah Beacham, Navigating Justice]</ref> Many in the legal community credit Judge Flournoy as the cause for Judge Robert D. Leonard II being challenged in the 2022 election. As the story goes, Judge Leonard refused to disqualify Judge Flournoy from presiding over a case that involved Judge Flournoy’s own attorney and campaign treasurer and, considering Judge Flournoy was not up for re-election, Judge Leonard found himself in a fight to save his job against two challengers in the 2022 Cobb County Superior Court judicial election for enabling Flournoy.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Lion%27s_Den Matthew D. McMaster, ''The Lion's Den'']</ref>
 
In a comparable child custody case which was assigned to Judge Flournoy prior to his retirement, Judge Flournoy refused to remove a Guardian ad Litem ("GAL") from that case despite a conflict of interest between the GAL and the attorney of record for a plaintiff-father.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/0/00/Motion_to_Remove_GAL_Ogundana.pdf ''Motion to Disqualify Court Appointed Guardian Ad Litem'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957]; [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/1/15/Order_Denying_Motion_to_Remove_GAL_Ogundana.pdf ''Order Denying Motion to Disqualify Guardian Ad Litem'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957]</ref> As expected in light of the presumed bias of the GAL, the father in that case has received full custody of the child and the mother has temporarily been denied all rights despite evidence of physical abuse by the father.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/a/ab/Order_Removing_Custody_Ogundana.pdf ''Temporary Order of Modification of Custody and Child Support'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957]</ref> Though the entire case is a jumbled mess of impropriety,<ref>Rule 2.3(B) of the [https://gajqc.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2021/06/Code-of-Judicial-Conduct-2020.pdf Code of Judicial Conduct] states: "A judge shall not, in the performance of judicial duties, by words or conduct manifest bias or prejudice . . . . Judges shall not permit court staff, court officials, or others subject to the judge’s direction and control to do so." In 2019, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Flournoy's staff attorney, Matt Freedman, gave a public review on Google to a Guardian Ad Litem, Brandi Daswani--the same Guardian Ad Litem appointed to the case that is the subject matter of this article. [https://g.co/kgs/BWKgse Matt Freedman gives Guardian Ad Litem 5-star review].</ref> the fact that none of the parties to that case even reside in Cobb County is a matter of severe public concern.


In a comparable child custody case which was assigned to Judge Flournoy prior to his retirement that Judge Sonja Brown is presently presiding over, Judge Flournoy refused to remove a Guardian ad Litem ("GAL") from a case despite a conflict of interest between the GAL and the attorney of record for a father. As expected in light of the presumed bias of the GAL, the father in that case has received full custody of the child and the mother has been denied all rights despite evidence of physical abuse by the father. The attorney for the mother in that case motioned to remove the GAL in light of the fiduciary relationship between the GAL and the father’s attorney, a request denied by Judge Flournoy. Though the entire case is a tangled mess, the fact that none of the parties to that case reside in Cobb County is a matter of severe public concern. In other words, the Cobb County taxpayers are funding the Cobb judiciary to handle matters that extend beyond its jurisdiction. And with what legal authority? Simply because Judge Robert E. Flournoy III said so; and his successor, Judge Sonja Brown, either (a) doesn’t understand the basic concepts of jurisdiction or (b) is simply deferring her decisions to her staff without exercising proper independent judgment. Neither cause should be acceptable to the people of Cobb County.
The Cobb County taxpayers are funding the Cobb judiciary to handle matters that extend beyond its jurisdiction. And with what legal authority? In this case, it's merely because Judge Robert E. Flournoy III said so; and his successor to the bench, the Honorable Judge Sonja Brown, either (a) doesn’t understand the basic concepts of jurisdiction or (b) is simply deferring her decision on the matter to her staff without exercising proper independent judgment.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/4/4f/Order_Denying_Summary_Judgment_Ogundana.pdf ''Order Denying Motion for Summary Judgment'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957]</ref> Neither cause should be acceptable to The People of Cobb County.  


*'''That case is set for a final hearing on July 10, 2023 at 9:00 AM before the Honorable Sonja N. Brown in Cobb County Superior Court, courtroom 6300.'''<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/6/64/Order_Setting_Hearing_Ogundana.pdf ''Order Setting Final Hearing'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957]</ref>


In that same election year, Judge Sonja Brown was in a race for judge Flournoy’s open seat against heavily-supported Taneesha Marshall and 4 other judicial candidates. Ironically, Marshall was a former staff assistant for Judge Flournoy in 2001, well before Matt Freedman.
==Where She Stands==
Whether Cobb's latest member to the Superior Court family of judges has the strength to exercise independent judgment in the face of internal and political influences is yet to be determined. Though, it is fair to say that The People of Cobb County can't take solace with Judge Sonja Brown's selection of a staff attorney.


By [https://andyleewhite.com/ ''Andy Lee White'']
<br>
Coauthor of [https://andyleewhite.com/ '''Atlanta Pop in the '50s, '60s & '70s: The Magic of Bill Lowery''']
<br>
<br>
July 8, 2023


What We Can Expect
=References=
<references/>

Latest revision as of 21:17, 8 July 2023

Judge Sonja N. Brown (top) and Judge Robert E. Flournoy III (bottom)

On The Cobb Taxpayer Dime...

Cobb County Superior Court’s newest addition, the Honorable Sonja N. Brown, took the bench for the first time this past January, 2023. From the get-go she has had the benefit of experience from her veteran staff attorney Matthew Freedman, who served her predecessor, now Senior Judge, Robert E. Flournoy, III, for many years. While Judge Brown appears to be benefitting from the continued employment of Judge Flournoy's former staff, perhaps the Cobb County taxpayers should be weary of her selection.

And why should the Cobb County taxpayer care? Or more accurately put: Why is Judge Sonja Brown using her time and the Cobb County Superior Court resources to resolve matters outside of Cobb's jurisdiction? Perhaps the lingering influence of Judge Flournoy's entourage has its vice grip on the newbie Judge Brown.

Staff Attorneys - The Phantom Menace

A hidden and nearly taboo influence over the outcome of any court case is that of a judge's staff attorney. Staff attorneys provide an array of tasks for their assigned judges which include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Conduct legal research
  • Draft court orders and memoranda
  • Provide legal advice and opinions to the judge
  • Assist the assigned judge in the management of cases
  • Serve as a liaison between the Superior Court and the public.

Considering the role of a staff attorney and, in turn, the presumed amount of time spent with the assigned judge, it is safe to assume that a judge's staff attorney has a far greater influence over a judge's final order than any party or their respective attorneys can.

The Runaway Train…

Political cartoon of Judge Sonja N. Brown (left) and Judge Robert E. Flournoy III (right)

Staff Attorney Matt Freedman spent years under the guidance of Robert E. Flournoy III who is perhaps one of Cobb County’s most controversial Superior Court judges, not known for his integrity but well known for his poor temperament, lack of self control and sometimes incoherent rambling from the bench.[1] Many in the legal community credit Judge Flournoy as the cause for Judge Robert D. Leonard II being challenged in the 2022 election. As the story goes, Judge Leonard refused to disqualify Judge Flournoy from presiding over a case that involved Judge Flournoy’s own attorney and campaign treasurer and, considering Judge Flournoy was not up for re-election, Judge Leonard found himself in a fight to save his job against two challengers in the 2022 Cobb County Superior Court judicial election for enabling Flournoy.[2]

In a comparable child custody case which was assigned to Judge Flournoy prior to his retirement, Judge Flournoy refused to remove a Guardian ad Litem ("GAL") from that case despite a conflict of interest between the GAL and the attorney of record for a plaintiff-father.[3] As expected in light of the presumed bias of the GAL, the father in that case has received full custody of the child and the mother has temporarily been denied all rights despite evidence of physical abuse by the father.[4] Though the entire case is a jumbled mess of impropriety,[5] the fact that none of the parties to that case even reside in Cobb County is a matter of severe public concern.

The Cobb County taxpayers are funding the Cobb judiciary to handle matters that extend beyond its jurisdiction. And with what legal authority? In this case, it's merely because Judge Robert E. Flournoy III said so; and his successor to the bench, the Honorable Judge Sonja Brown, either (a) doesn’t understand the basic concepts of jurisdiction or (b) is simply deferring her decision on the matter to her staff without exercising proper independent judgment.[6] Neither cause should be acceptable to The People of Cobb County.

  • That case is set for a final hearing on July 10, 2023 at 9:00 AM before the Honorable Sonja N. Brown in Cobb County Superior Court, courtroom 6300.[7]

Where She Stands

Whether Cobb's latest member to the Superior Court family of judges has the strength to exercise independent judgment in the face of internal and political influences is yet to be determined. Though, it is fair to say that The People of Cobb County can't take solace with Judge Sonja Brown's selection of a staff attorney.

By Andy Lee White
Coauthor of Atlanta Pop in the '50s, '60s & '70s: The Magic of Bill Lowery

July 8, 2023

References

  1. ↑ Child endangering judge prepares for senior judgeship, by Deborah Beacham, Navigating Justice
  2. ↑ Matthew D. McMaster, The Lion's Den
  3. ↑ Motion to Disqualify Court Appointed Guardian Ad Litem, Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957; Order Denying Motion to Disqualify Guardian Ad Litem, Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957
  4. ↑ Temporary Order of Modification of Custody and Child Support, Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957
  5. ↑ Rule 2.3(B) of the Code of Judicial Conduct states: "A judge shall not, in the performance of judicial duties, by words or conduct manifest bias or prejudice . . . . Judges shall not permit court staff, court officials, or others subject to the judge’s direction and control to do so." In 2019, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Flournoy's staff attorney, Matt Freedman, gave a public review on Google to a Guardian Ad Litem, Brandi Daswani--the same Guardian Ad Litem appointed to the case that is the subject matter of this article. Matt Freedman gives Guardian Ad Litem 5-star review.
  6. ↑ Order Denying Motion for Summary Judgment, Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957
  7. ↑ Order Setting Final Hearing, Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 20104957
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