Latest revision as of 10:25, 12 December 2023

Cobb Judges Abandon Constitution to Protect the Establishment

Fulton County's Project ORCA recently recruited two Cobb County Senior Judges, the Honorable G. Grant Brantley and the Honorable Adele P. Grubbs, allegedly to assist in managing the Fulton County Superior Court backlog of cases. The timing of the recruitment and their resulting rulings leave little to conjecture—Cobb Senior Judges are being used as mere cover fire for the improprieties of Fulton judges.

This article comes as an unanticipated 5th Part in a series of articles following an array of retaliatory actions of the Fulton County judiciary and law enforcement against a man not backing down to the system, Power vs. Truth. Derrick Jackson, a resident of Fulton County was robbed of his due process rights under the Constitution just days before Christmas of 2022 by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge.^[1] "After Jackson took to the media about the situation, his family was thrown out of their home located in The Country Club of the South by the Fulton County Sheriff's SCORPION Unit without a proper court order."^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Project ORCA

"On June 30, 2021, during a Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting with the county’s mayors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, County Manager Dick Anderson said Fulton’s court case backlog had gotten out of control."^[6]

Fulton Leaders 'Brainstormed'

Just over five months later, when Fulton’s courts finally reopened, county leaders embarked on a plan to address the backlog—which, after being inventoried, totaled 148,209 open and active cases. Fulton, the state’s largest and most populous county with Georgia’s largest court case backlog, chose a name just as big for the strategy: Project Orca.^[7]
The funds allocated were just as large: the county used $75 million of the $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act monies it received in 2021 for pandemic-related programs to eliminate the case backlog. They must be spent by Dec. 31, 2024.^[8]

According to an article written by Everett Catts of the Daily Report^[9]:

For Fulton, 'orca' has been synonymous with 'solution.' As of July 31, about a year and a half after launching Project Orca, the county had disposed of 108,661 cases, becoming a model for justice systems across the state and nation. In July, Fulton won one of the National Association of Counties’ Achievement Awards for its innovative methods of whittling down the backlog. In May it won an Association County Commissioners of Georgia County of Excellence Award for the same reason.^[10]

The Case Race

So, how exactly does this Project ORCA devour cases at such a rapid pace? What is the secret? Cobb County attorney, Matthew D. McMaster, shared his opinion: "The court's due diligence is our due process. And due diligence takes time. If time is being reduced, so is due diligence and, in turn, due process. It's as simple as that." When asked if there’s evidence proving that due process rights were being sacrificed at the hand of Project ORCA, McMaster responded: "Absolutely. The numbers don't lie.”

To his point, looking at the numbers, disposing of over 100,000 cases in a year and a half leaves little time for due process. Project ORCA keeps a public scorecard of the number of cases closed by judge.^[11] While best intentions may be behind keeping score in this manner, the end result is that judges are incentivized to cut corners,^[12] sacrificing due process, simply to keep their case numbers down. Contributing to the atrocity, Fulton was nationally recognized "for its innovative methods of whittling down the backlog." It is clear here that, as with communism, misplaced incentives result in misbehavior—namely, abuse of power and deprivation of rights.

Recusal Cover Fire

On April 2, 2023, Navigating Justice published an article entitled Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges discussing the Fulton County judiciary's refusal to recuse Judge Melynee Leftridge from presiding over multiple cases where Judge Leftridge showed clear bias, conflicts of interest, and plain incompetence. Here is a brief exert from that article:

The Courthouse Shell Game

There are two ways a judge can be recused (or "removed") from a case: (1) voluntarily and (2) involuntarily. The latter, at least in Fulton County, occurs amongst flying pigs and unicorns. Jackson's case has extracted that fact pretty clearly. On March 23, 2023, Derrick Jackson filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus and Writ of Prohibition demanding, among other things, the recusal of the entire Fulton County Superior Court bench after two of the judges (including Judge Leftridge) failed to recuse themselves from the eviction case despite conflicts, two judges (one in the eviction case and one in the Quiet Title case) refused to recuse Judge Leftridge, and three judges (including Judge Leftridge) all refused to appoint a special master, whose appointment is mandated by Georgia law in the Quiet Title case.^[13]

While Judge Melynee Leftridge has refused to recuse herself from the Jackson cases, she has since failed to appear at any hearings or rule on any motions in connection to those cases. Rather, Judge Leftridge appears to be hiding behind Project ORCA in avoidance of her duties. To that end, Cobb County Senior Judges Adele Grubbs and Grant Brantley were recruited by Project ORCA to execute Judge Leftridge's duties. Unlike Leftridge, these Senior Judges are appointed to their roles and are not subject to election or reelection by voters. As of the date of this article, Judge Leftridge still remains the assigned judge according to the Fulton County Clerk’s Office.

Cobb Leaders Rest On Their Laurels

So why would Cobb County senior judges be complicit with Fulton County's agenda?^[14]^[15] Some surface level research reveals that the start and end of the analysis lies with their personal incentives: Time^[16] & Money.

The Honorable Adele P. Grubbs

The Honorable Adele P. Grubbs (born in December of 1944) earned her law degree from Manchester University in England before she moved to the U.S., State of Georgia in 1969.^[17] Grubbs was the first woman assistant district attorney in Cobb County and was elected to the county’s Superior Court in 2000.^[18] She retired after the end of her 2016 term and was appointed as a Senior Judge in 2017.

The Honorable G. Grant Brantley

The Honorable G. Grant Brantley was born in Georgia and grew up in Griffin. Brantley graduated from Emory Law School in 1964 before joining the Air Force as a judge advocate. He moved to Cobb County after his military stint and served in a variety of government positions including Cobb County Superior Court judge from 1980 to 1992. "He didn't seek reelection in 1992 because he was in the process of being nominated to the U.S. District Court by President George H. W. Bush. But the '92 election spoiled his call-up to the federal bench."^[19]^[20] Judge Brantley was appointed as a Senior Judge in 2007.

Follow the Money

It is clear from above that both Judge Grubbs and Judge Brantley had very prominent legal careers and were highly regarded assets to the Cobb County justice system. However, at some point in their golden years, in their retirement tenures as Senior Judges, they appear to have wavered and fallen from foundations built on principles only to compromise their respective legacies. But for what? The most obvious answer reigns supreme: Money. Understanding how judges are paid sheds more light on the matter than is palatable.

Full-Time (Annual Salary) Elected Judges

Full-time Superior Court judgeships in the State of Georgia are salaried positions that are paid with State tax dollars and often times subsidized by the county in which they preside. In Cobb County for example, Superior Court judges have salaries paid for by both State and County taxpayers totaling around $200,000 annually.^[21] For their pay, these "elected" officials work full-time presiding over matters within their respective jurisdictions. Elected judges serve four year terms and must be re-elected by a majority of the voters within their county if they wish to remain on the bench. Thus, their job depends on the voters and, in turn, campaign donations. The end result: Full-Time elected Superior Court judges cater to their campaign donors. In other words, campaign donors and political supporters get preferential treatment and favorable results in cases regardless of the actual facts. The following chart illustrates how campaign donations influence a full-time judge's decisions:

As shown above, [1] campaign donors contribute money to an elected judge's campaign, [2] campaign donors then gain influence over the elected judge's decisions and, in turn, the judge caters to the desires of his or her donors. [3] The elected judge uses his or her campaign funds to influence the voters increasing the likelihood of keeping his or her job in an election. [4] Taxpayer money funds the salary of the elected judge, though the taxpayers do not have influence over a judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.

Part-Time (Daily Pay Rate) Senior Judges

Part-time Senior Judges in the State of Georgia are paid by the State a daily rate “in the amount of the annual state salary of a judge of the applicable court, divided by 235.”^[22] So, based on the $200,000 estimated Cobb County annual salary for elected judges, a Senior Judge presiding in Cobb County makes about $850 per day. These Senior Judges obtain their respective working days by having cases assigned to them by full-time judges. Mediator assignments are also court appointed roles that Senior Judges receive from full-time judges. And, when a Senior Judge serves as a mediator, he or she makes their money at a premium hourly rate, usually between $150 and $350 per hour. In short, a Senior Judge's job heavily depends on the will of the full-time judges. The end result: Part-time Senior Judges cater to the desires of the assigning full-time elected judges. Thus, if a full-time judge wants a specific outcome in a case, the part-time Senior Judge will make it so—simply to increase his or her opportunity for future appointments by that particular full-time judge.

The Big Picture

In an article published in 2022, Cobb County State Court Judge, Carl Bowers, said that when Bowers went into private practice, “Brantley told him to remember he was not just practicing law, but running a business.”^[23] Interestingly, while a judge is a government position for the purpose of serving the public, Judge Brantley treats his judgeship exactly as a business, and nothing more.^[24] The below chart illustrates how the "business" of a Superior Court judge is conducted:

Elected Judge
[1] Campaign donors contribute money to an elected judge's campaign.
[2] Campaign donors, by virtue of their donations, gain influence over the elected judge's decisions and, in turn, the judge caters to the desires of his or her donors.
[3] The elected judge then uses his or her campaign funds to influence the voters and the judge is therefore able to increase the likelihood of keeping his or her job in an election.
[4] Taxpayer money funds the salary of the elected judge, though the taxpayers do not have influence over a judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.

Senior Judge
[5] The elected judge assigns a case to a senior judge.
[6] The senior judge is compensated with tax dollars at a daily rate “in the amount of the annual state salary of a judge of the applicable court, divided by 235.”^[25] Though, the taxpayers do not have influence over a senior judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.
[7] The elected judge uses this case assignment power to influence the senior judge and the senior judge, in turn, caters to the desires of the elected judge in order to increase the likelihood of being assigned to cases in the future.^[26]

Mediator
[8] The elected judge assigns a case to a mediator (who is often times also a campaign donor and/or a senior judge).
[9] The parties in the case are ordered to mediation for the purpose of trying to settle the case.
[10] The parties are ordered to pay the mediator at an hourly rate usually between $150 and $350 per hour.
[11] The elected judge uses this mediator assignment power to influence the senior judge and the senior judge, in turn, caters to the desires of the elected judge in order to increase the likelihood of being assigned as a mediator in the future.

See also Cobb County - Judicial Misconduct: A Participant in Cobb's Notorious 'Pay-to-Play' Way

Short-Sighted Swan Song

It appears that heavily distinguished and once well respected Cobb County judges have in retirement abandoned their principles and are enabling injustice at the expense of their good names. And what exactly changed (if anything) that transformed these once highly regarded judicial leaders into mere henchmen of the establishment?

The most obvious answer prevails: How these judges make their money.

By

If you are aware of similar problems in Georgia legal matters, send the details and documents here: https://navigatingjustice.org/reporting/

November 7, 2023

References

↑ The plaintiff requested from the court a release of all funds held in the Registry at around 5:20 PM on December 20, 2022; and Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order releasing the funds without a hearing at 11:03 AM the very next morning (on December 21) with over $40,000 of those funds still in dispute for a jury to decide ownership of. Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. Despite Judge Leftridge's order being entered without a hearing or any supporting evidence, Judge Grant Brantley upheld Judge Leftridge's unconstitutional order and erroneously ruled that "Defendant was provided adequate due process". Order, Paramount Properties Management Group LLC v. Derrick Jackson, Fulton County Superior Court, Case No. 2022CV365529
↑ Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues
↑ Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and children
↑ Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges
↑ Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is it all a facade?
↑ How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).
↑ How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).
↑ How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).
↑ How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)
↑ How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)
↑ Project ORCA: Open and Closed Cases by JudgeName
↑ See example Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. See also Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and Children
↑ Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges
↑ Judge Adele Grubbs appointed Berry Zimmerman as a special master to the case even though Mr. Zimmerman was disqualified to serve in that capacity under the Judicial Code of Ethics. Zimmerman subsequently withdrew as special master from the case after Derrick Jackson’s attorney motioned for Zimmerman’s removal. Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is all a facade?
↑ On December 21, 2022, Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order stating that Derrick Jackson was required to pay $30,000 into the Registry of the Fulton County court by December 31, 2022 even though Jackson had already deposited $190,264.52 into the Registry prior to that date. Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. Though, only 12 months of rent was due (January-December 2022) with rent being $15,000 per month, totaling $180,000. At a contempt hearing before Judge Grant Brantley on September 29, 2023, Jackson’s attorney expressed that the court needed to explain “how it concluded that $220,264.52 had to be deposited by Derrick Jackson by December 31st 2022,” to which Judge Brantley essentially asserted his 5th Amendment Right to Remain Silent by responding: "Mr. McMaster, I'm not going to be cross-examined." Hearing Transcript, Paramount Properties v. Derrick Jackson, September 29, 2023 (PDF)
↑ "Since the beginning of COVID-19, the Fulton County Court System has amassed a significant and unprecedented level of cases. Project ORCA will address this challenge by utilizing a combination of capacity expansion and productivity enhancement initiatives to expedite the case adjudication process." Project ORCA and Justice System Update (June 21, 2023)
↑ Lifetime Achiever: Judge Adele Grubbs
↑ Retiring Cobb Judge Adele Grubbs To Be Honored
↑ Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley
↑ In 2005, Judge Grant Brantley ran against former Georgia Supreme Court Justice, Leah Ward Sears accusing Sears of being a “judicial activist.” The irony is that Brantley is now here engaging in judicial activism himself. See Brantley taking on activist judge
↑ Cobb Superior Court judges to get 4 percent county pay raise
↑ O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)
↑ Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley
↑ On May 18, 2015, Paulding County Industrial Building Authority attorneys filed a motion for the recusal of the Honorable Judge G. Grant Brantley on hearing a lawsuit brought by six local residents to prevent the development of Silver Comet Field where the "plaintiff's" attorney, Michael Bowers (father of Cobb County State Court Judge, Carl Bowers), was Brantley's former superior officer in the military and 30 year business and political associate.Judge Brantley Needs to Step Aside. According to the article, Let Paulding Fly: Judge Brantley Needs To Step Aside, "Judge Brantley and Mr. Bowers have a long and significant history that spans more than 30 years. Judge Brantley was Mr. Bowers’ subordinate when he served as Mr. Bowers’ lawyer as a staff judge advocate in the Air National Guard for 10 years, until 1992. During Mr. Bowers’ 1994 re-election campaign for Georgia Attorney General, Judge Brantley served as his treasurer. When Mr. Bowers ran for Governor in 1998, Judge Brantley again served as treasurer and contributed $5,000 to the campaign. From 2001 to 2007, Judge Brantley was Of Counsel to Mr. Bowers’ law firm – a business relationship that involved the firm paying for all of Judge Brantley’s overhead and a 50/50 split of all his fees. In 2004, Judge Brantley ran for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court and received almost $20,000 in campaign contributions from Bowers himself and Bowers’ law firm and family members. In 2009, when Judge Brantley sued to collect legal fees owed him, his attorney was Mr. Bowers, the case went on until 2012. In addition, this week it was revealed that Mr. Bowers’ son was Judge Brantley’s former law clerk." See also secure (PDF) version. "In 2003, [Mike] Bowers started a government relations and lobbying firm with his son Bruce Bowers and John Watson, the political consultant for Georgia's then-governor, Sonny Perdue. Bowers said they had a simple objective: 'to make money.'" Mike Bowers, Wikipedia (citing Massey, Bowers & Hembree (19 Jan 2003). "New business for Bowers". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved 11 July 2012.)
↑ O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)
↑ In 2021, Cobb County Superior Court Judge, Robert D. Leonard II, assigned Judge Adele Grubbs to a case after it was discovered that Judge Leonard appointed a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to a case in consideration of the GAL’s substantial campaign contribution. See Cobb County - Judicial Misconduct: A Participant in Cobb's Notorious 'Pay-to-Play' Way. Judge Grubbs then sanctioned the husband (who was not even a party to the case) of the mother fighting for custody. The Court of Appeals reversed Grubbs’ unlawful order against the nonparty. Ellis v. Seaver, 367 Ga.App. 322, 885 S.E.2d 817 (2023)("Because Ellis was not a party to the case, the trial court lacked authority under OCGA § 9-15-14 to impose these fees. We therefore reverse the trial court's award.").

[1] The plaintiff requested from the court a release of all funds held in the Registry at around 5:20 PM on December 20, 2022; and Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order releasing the funds without a hearing at 11:03 AM the very next morning (on December 21) with over $40,000 of those funds still in dispute for a jury to decide ownership of. Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. Despite Judge Leftridge's order being entered without a hearing or any supporting evidence, Judge Grant Brantley upheld Judge Leftridge's unconstitutional order and erroneously ruled that "Defendant was provided adequate due process". Order, Paramount Properties Management Group LLC v. Derrick Jackson, Fulton County Superior Court, Case No. 2022CV365529

[2] Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues

[3] Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and children

[4] Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges

[5] Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is it all a facade?

[6] How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).

[7] How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).

[8] How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023).

[9] How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)

[10] How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting, by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)

[11] Project ORCA: Open and Closed Cases by JudgeName

[12] See example Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. See also Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and Children

[13] Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges

[14] Judge Adele Grubbs appointed Berry Zimmerman as a special master to the case even though Mr. Zimmerman was disqualified to serve in that capacity under the Judicial Code of Ethics. Zimmerman subsequently withdrew as special master from the case after Derrick Jackson’s attorney motioned for Zimmerman’s removal. Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is all a facade?

[15] On December 21, 2022, Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order stating that Derrick Jackson was required to pay $30,000 into the Registry of the Fulton County court by December 31, 2022 even though Jackson had already deposited $190,264.52 into the Registry prior to that date. Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues. Though, only 12 months of rent was due (January-December 2022) with rent being $15,000 per month, totaling $180,000. At a contempt hearing before Judge Grant Brantley on September 29, 2023, Jackson’s attorney expressed that the court needed to explain “how it concluded that $220,264.52 had to be deposited by Derrick Jackson by December 31st 2022,” to which Judge Brantley essentially asserted his 5th Amendment Right to Remain Silent by responding: "Mr. McMaster, I'm not going to be cross-examined." Hearing Transcript, Paramount Properties v. Derrick Jackson, September 29, 2023 (PDF)

[16] "Since the beginning of COVID-19, the Fulton County Court System has amassed a significant and unprecedented level of cases. Project ORCA will address this challenge by utilizing a combination of capacity expansion and productivity enhancement initiatives to expedite the case adjudication process." Project ORCA and Justice System Update (June 21, 2023)

[17] Lifetime Achiever: Judge Adele Grubbs

[18] Retiring Cobb Judge Adele Grubbs To Be Honored

[19] Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley

[20] In 2005, Judge Grant Brantley ran against former Georgia Supreme Court Justice, Leah Ward Sears accusing Sears of being a “judicial activist.” The irony is that Brantley is now here engaging in judicial activism himself. See Brantley taking on activist judge

[21] Cobb Superior Court judges to get 4 percent county pay raise

[22] O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)

[23] Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley

[24] On May 18, 2015, Paulding County Industrial Building Authority attorneys filed a motion for the recusal of the Honorable Judge G. Grant Brantley on hearing a lawsuit brought by six local residents to prevent the development of Silver Comet Field where the "plaintiff's" attorney, Michael Bowers (father of Cobb County State Court Judge, Carl Bowers), was Brantley's former superior officer in the military and 30 year business and political associate.Judge Brantley Needs to Step Aside. According to the article, Let Paulding Fly: Judge Brantley Needs To Step Aside, "Judge Brantley and Mr. Bowers have a long and significant history that spans more than 30 years. Judge Brantley was Mr. Bowers’ subordinate when he served as Mr. Bowers’ lawyer as a staff judge advocate in the Air National Guard for 10 years, until 1992. During Mr. Bowers’ 1994 re-election campaign for Georgia Attorney General, Judge Brantley served as his treasurer. When Mr. Bowers ran for Governor in 1998, Judge Brantley again served as treasurer and contributed $5,000 to the campaign. From 2001 to 2007, Judge Brantley was Of Counsel to Mr. Bowers’ law firm – a business relationship that involved the firm paying for all of Judge Brantley’s overhead and a 50/50 split of all his fees. In 2004, Judge Brantley ran for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court and received almost $20,000 in campaign contributions from Bowers himself and Bowers’ law firm and family members. In 2009, when Judge Brantley sued to collect legal fees owed him, his attorney was Mr. Bowers, the case went on until 2012. In addition, this week it was revealed that Mr. Bowers’ son was Judge Brantley’s former law clerk." See also secure (PDF) version. "In 2003, [Mike] Bowers started a government relations and lobbying firm with his son Bruce Bowers and John Watson, the political consultant for Georgia's then-governor, Sonny Perdue. Bowers said they had a simple objective: 'to make money.'" Mike Bowers, Wikipedia (citing Massey, Bowers & Hembree (19 Jan 2003). "New business for Bowers". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved 11 July 2012.)

[25] O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)

[26] In 2021, Cobb County Superior Court Judge, Robert D. Leonard II, assigned Judge Adele Grubbs to a case after it was discovered that Judge Leonard appointed a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to a case in consideration of the GAL’s substantial campaign contribution. See Cobb County - Judicial Misconduct: A Participant in Cobb's Notorious 'Pay-to-Play' Way. Judge Grubbs then sanctioned the husband (who was not even a party to the case) of the mother fighting for custody. The Court of Appeals reversed Grubbs’ unlawful order against the nonparty. Ellis v. Seaver, 367 Ga.App. 322, 885 S.E.2d 817 (2023)("Because Ellis was not a party to the case, the trial court lacked authority under OCGA § 9-15-14 to impose these fees. We therefore reverse the trial court's award.").

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |title=Fulton Judiciary Weaponizes Project ORCA
 |description=Cobb County Judges abandon the Constitution to protect the Establishment
-|keywords=Cobb County, Judge Adele P. Grubbs, Cobb County Superior Court, Adele Grubbs, Judge Adele Grubbs, Adele P. Grubbs, Judge Grubbs, Melynee Leftridge, Fulton County Superior Court, G. Grant Brantley, Grant Brantley, Judge Grant Brantley, Judge Brantley, Judge G. Grant Brantley, Senior Judge, wikilaw
+|keywords=Fulton County corruption, Project ORCA, ORCA Project, Carl Bowers, Judge Carl Bowers, Carl W. Bowers, judicial misconduct, JQC, Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, Melynee Leftridge, Judge Melynee Leftridge, Melynee Leftridge Harris, Judge Leftridge, Judge Melynee Leftridge Harris, Cobb County, Judge Adele P. Grubbs, Cobb County Superior Court, Adele Grubbs, Judge Adele Grubbs, Adele P. Grubbs, Judge Grubbs, Melynee Leftridge, Fulton County Superior Court, G. Grant Brantley, Grant Brantley, Judge Grant Brantley, Judge Brantley, Judge G. Grant Brantley, Senior Judge, wikilaw
 }}
-[[File:Grubbs Glanville Schuster.png|left|400px|Judge Adele Grubbs (top left), Judge Ural Glanville (bottom left), Judge J. Stephen Schuster (right)]]
+[[File:Project ORCA.png|left|400px|Judge Adele P. Grubbs (top left), Judge G. Grant Brantley (bottom left), Judge Melynee Leftridge (top right), Pod of Orca Whales (bottom right)]]
 =Cobb Judges Abandon Constitution to Protect the Establishment=
-Fulton County's Project ORCA recently recruited two Cobb County Judges allegedly to assist in managing the Fulton County Superior Court backlog of cases. The timing of the recruitment and the resulting rulings leaves little to conjecture. Senior Judges are being used as mere cover fire for the improprieties of elected judges, but at what cost?
+Fulton County's Project ORCA recently recruited two Cobb County Senior Judges, the Honorable G. Grant Brantley and the Honorable Adele P. Grubbs, allegedly to assist in managing the Fulton County Superior Court backlog of cases. The timing of the recruitment and their resulting rulings leave little to conjecture—Cobb Senior Judges are being used as mere cover fire for the improprieties of Fulton judges.
+This article comes as an unanticipated 5th Part in a series of articles following an array of retaliatory actions of the Fulton County judiciary and law enforcement against a man not backing down to the system, ''Power vs. Truth''. Derrick Jackson, a resident of Fulton County was robbed of his due process rights under the Constitution just days before Christmas of 2022 by Fulton County Superior Court Judge [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Karma_prevails_and_Recusal_Motion_ensues Melynee Leftridge].<ref>The plaintiff requested from the court a release of all funds held in the Registry at around 5:20 PM on December 20, 2022; and Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order releasing the funds without a hearing at 11:03 AM the very next morning (on December 21) with over $40,000 of those funds still in dispute for a jury to decide ownership of. [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Karma_prevails_and_Recusal_Motion_ensues Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues]. Despite Judge Leftridge's order being entered without a hearing or any supporting evidence, Judge Grant Brantley upheld Judge Leftridge's unconstitutional order and erroneously ruled that "Defendant was provided adequate due process". [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/9/9f/Order_Denying_Motion_to_Vacate.pdf Order, ''Paramount Properties Management Group LLC v. Derrick Jackson'', Fulton County Superior Court, Case No. 2022CV365529]</ref> "After Jackson took to the media about the situation, his family was thrown out of their home located in The Country Club of the South by the Fulton County Sheriff's [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Fulton_Sheriff_wrongfully_evicts_Mother_and_children#The_SCORPION_Unit SCORPION Unit] without a proper court order."<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Karma_prevails_and_Recusal_Motion_ensues Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues]</ref><ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Fulton_Sheriff_wrongfully_evicts_Mother_and_children Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and children]</ref><ref>[[Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges]]</ref><ref>[[Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is it all a facade?]]</ref>
+<br>
+==Project ORCA==
+"On June 30, 2021, during a Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting with the county’s mayors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, County Manager Dick Anderson said Fulton’s court case backlog had gotten out of control."<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2023/08/28/how-fulton-countys-project-orca-devoured-108661-court-cases-and-counting/ ''How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting'', by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)].</ref>
+<blockquote>
+[[File:ORCA Pod.jpeg|right|300px|Orca Pod]]
+===Fulton Leaders 'Brainstormed'===
+Just over five months later, when Fulton’s courts finally reopened, county leaders embarked on a plan to address the backlog—which, after being inventoried, totaled 148,209 open and active cases. Fulton, the state’s largest and most populous county with Georgia’s largest court case backlog, chose a name just as big for the strategy: Project Orca.<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2023/08/28/how-fulton-countys-project-orca-devoured-108661-court-cases-and-counting/ ''How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting'', by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)].</ref>
+The funds allocated were just as large: the county used $75 million of the $200 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act monies it received in 2021 for pandemic-related programs to eliminate the case backlog. They must be spent by Dec. 31, 2024.<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2023/08/28/how-fulton-countys-project-orca-devoured-108661-court-cases-and-counting/ ''How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting'', by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)].</ref>
+</blockquote>
+According to an article written by Everett Catts of the Daily Report<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/2/29/Fulton_Countys_Project_Orca_Devours_108%2C661_Court_Cases_and_Counting_Daily_Report.pdf ''How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting'', by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)]</ref>:
+<blockquote>
+For Fulton, 'orca' has been synonymous with 'solution.' As of July 31, about a year and a half after launching Project Orca, the county had disposed of 108,661 cases, becoming a model for justice systems across the state and nation. In July, Fulton won one of the [https://www.naco.org/resources/award-programs/project-orca-covid-19-case-resolution National Association of Counties’ Achievement Awards] for its innovative methods of whittling down the backlog. In May it won an [https://www.georgiatrend.com/2023/05/25/innovate-connect-improve/ Association County Commissioners of Georgia County of Excellence Award] for the same reason.<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2023/08/28/how-fulton-countys-project-orca-devoured-108661-court-cases-and-counting/?slreturn=20230908091818 ''How Fulton County’s Project Orca Devoured 108,661 Court Cases and Counting'', by Everett Catts (August 28, 2023)]</ref>
+</blockquote>
+===The Case Race===
+So, how exactly does this Project ORCA ''devour'' cases at such a rapid pace? What is the secret? Cobb County attorney, [https://mcmasterlegal.com/ Matthew D. McMaster], shared his opinion: "The court's due diligence is our due process. And due diligence takes time. If time is being reduced, so is due diligence and, in turn, due process. It's as simple as that." When asked if there’s evidence proving that due process rights were being sacrificed at the hand of Project ORCA, McMaster responded: "Absolutely. The numbers don't lie.”
-On April 12, 2023, Cobb County Senior Superior Court judge, the Honorable Adele Grubbs, ruled in favor of the appointment of a special master in a real estate title dispute pending in Fulton County,<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2023/04/13/court-to-appoint-special-master-in-fulton-county-eviction-case-after-plaintiffs-call-for-judges-recusal/ Court to appoint special master in Fulton County]</ref> yet the actual order entered by the judge on April 18, 2023 proved to be far more controversial than expected.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/2/2a/Order_Appointing_Special_Master.pdf Order Appointing Special Master]</ref> But why was a Cobb County judge presiding over a case that was already assigned to Judge Melynee Leftridge in Fulton County? Or, more concerning, why was Judge Grubbs in particular handpicked for the case? Cobb Senior Judge J. Stephen Schuster candidly shared his unsolicited opinion.
+To his point, looking at the numbers, disposing of over 100,000 cases in a year and a half leaves little time for due process. Project ORCA keeps a public scorecard of the number of cases closed by judge.<ref>[https://sharefulton.fultoncountyga.gov/dataset/Project-ORCA-Open-and-Closed-Cases-by-JudgeName/6th6-2xwr Project ORCA: Open and Closed Cases by JudgeName]</ref> While best intentions may be behind keeping score in this manner, the end result is that judges are incentivized to cut corners,<ref>''See example'' [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Karma_prevails_and_Recusal_Motion_ensues Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues]. ''See also'' [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php/Fulton_Sheriff_wrongfully_evicts_Mother_and_children Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and Children]</ref> sacrificing due process, simply to keep their case numbers down. Contributing to the atrocity, Fulton was nationally recognized "for its innovative methods of whittling down the backlog." It is clear here that, as with communism, misplaced incentives result in misbehavior—namely, abuse of power and deprivation of rights.
-==The County Gossip==
+==Recusal Cover Fire==
-On April 18, 2023, Senior Judge, J. Stephen Schuster, was presiding over a child support hearing in Cobb County when he inserted what could reasonably be interpreted as a subtle dig on a local attorney who was not even present at the time nor part of the case Schuster was presiding over. The attorney was Marietta’s Matthew D. McMaster. Schuster was presiding in place of Judge Robert D. Leonard II at the time. Present at the hearing was attorney Rebecca McLaws who was representing a friend of McMaster's, Tameka Brown. According to an affidavit filed by McLaws, Judge Schuster referred to McMaster as part of Ms. Brown's "entourage" and went on to state that Senior Judge Adele Grubbs had “tangled it up" with Mr. McMaster in Fulton County.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/f/ff/Affidavit_RM.pdf Affidavit of Rebecca McLaws]</ref> However, upon reviewing the first draft rendition of the transcript, "the phrase 'tangled it up' did not appear in the transcript whatsoever," according to attorney McLaws. McMaster, on notice of the dialogue about him, has filed a request for the audio recording of the transcript from the hearing.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/2/24/Rule_21_Motion_for_Audio.pdf Nonparty Motion for Court Records]</ref>
+On April 2, 2023, Navigating Justice published an article entitled [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Georgia_Ethics_Code_Does_Not_Apply_To_Fulton_Judges ''Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges''] discussing the Fulton County judiciary's refusal to recuse Judge Melynee Leftridge from presiding over multiple cases where Judge Leftridge showed clear bias, conflicts of interest, and plain incompetence. Here is a brief exert from that article:
 <blockquote>
-===When a 'Senior Judge' May Be Used===
+===The Courthouse Shell Game===
-''An active judge may call upon a senior judge to serve in an emergency or when the volume of cases or other unusual circumstances cause such service to be necessary in order to provide for the speedy and efficient disposition of the business of the circuit.'' [https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2022/title-15/chapter-1/section-15-1-9-2/ O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2(c)].
+[[File:Shell_Game.gif|left|300px|shell game]]
+There are two ways a judge can be recused (or "removed") from a case: (1) voluntarily and (2) involuntarily. The latter, at least in Fulton County, occurs amongst flying pigs and unicorns. Jackson's case has extracted that fact pretty clearly.
+On March 23, 2023, Derrick Jackson filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus and Writ of Prohibition demanding, among other things, the recusal of the entire Fulton County Superior Court bench after two of the judges (including Judge Leftridge) failed to recuse themselves from the eviction case despite conflicts, two judges (one in the eviction case and one in the Quiet Title case) refused to recuse Judge Leftridge, and three judges (including Judge Leftridge) all refused to appoint a special master, whose appointment is mandated by Georgia law in the Quiet Title case.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Georgia_Ethics_Code_Does_Not_Apply_To_Fulton_Judges ''Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges'']</ref>
 </blockquote>
+<br>
+While Judge Melynee Leftridge has refused to recuse herself from the Jackson cases, she has since failed to appear at any hearings or rule on any motions in connection to those cases. Rather, Judge Leftridge ''appears'' to be hiding behind Project ORCA in avoidance of her duties. To that end, Cobb County Senior Judges Adele Grubbs and Grant Brantley were recruited by Project ORCA to execute Judge Leftridge's duties. Unlike Leftridge, these Senior Judges are appointed to their roles and are not subject to election or reelection by voters. As of the date of this article, Judge Leftridge still remains the assigned judge according to the Fulton County Clerk’s Office.
-So who cares that Senior Judge Schuster decided to voice his opinion about a case pending in another county? Why does it matter? McMaster weighed in: "Schuster's comment in Cobb was made in the same hearing he ruled to arrest my friend, Tameka. And it was roughly an hour before Judge Grubbs' Fulton order was made publicly available. So he appears to have alluded to Judge Grubbs' agenda before I could have known about it. The fact that the transcript deviates from what I was originally told by Ms. McLaws is concerning. I'll know more once that audio is available."
+==Cobb Leaders Rest On Their Laurels==
+So why would Cobb County senior judges be complicit with Fulton County's agenda?<ref>Judge Adele Grubbs appointed Berry Zimmerman as a special master to the case even though Mr. Zimmerman was disqualified to serve in that capacity under the Judicial Code of Ethics. Zimmerman subsequently withdrew as special master from the case after Derrick Jackson’s attorney motioned for Zimmerman’s removal. [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cobb_County_judge_sets_the_record_straight_in_Fulton,_or_is_it_all_a_facade%3F Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is all a facade?]</ref><ref>On December 21, 2022, Judge Melynee Leftridge entered an order stating that Derrick Jackson was required to pay $30,000 into the Registry of the Fulton County court by December 31, 2022 even though Jackson had already deposited $190,264.52 into the Registry prior to that date. [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Karma_prevails_and_Recusal_Motion_ensues Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues]. Though, only 12 months of rent was due (January-December 2022) with rent being $15,000 per month, totaling $180,000. At a contempt hearing before Judge Grant Brantley on September 29, 2023, Jackson’s attorney expressed that the court needed to explain “how it concluded that $220,264.52 had to be deposited by Derrick Jackson by December 31st 2022,” to which Judge Brantley essentially asserted his 5th Amendment Right to Remain Silent by responding: "Mr. McMaster, I'm not going to be cross-examined." [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/f/fa/ParamountvJackson_Transcript_09-29-2023.pdf Hearing Transcript, Paramount Properties v. Derrick Jackson, September 29, 2023 (PDF)]</ref> Some surface level research reveals that the start and end of the analysis lies with their personal incentives: Time<ref>"Since the beginning of COVID-19, the Fulton County Court System has amassed a significant and unprecedented level of cases. Project ORCA will address this challenge by utilizing a combination of capacity expansion and productivity enhancement initiatives to expedite the case adjudication process." [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/d/d0/Fulton_County_Justice_Update_for_06_21_23.pdf Project ORCA and Justice System Update (June 21, 2023)]</ref> & Money.
+===The Honorable Adele P. Grubbs===
+The Honorable Adele P. Grubbs (born in December of 1944) earned her law degree from Manchester University in England before she moved to the U.S., State of Georgia in 1969.<ref>[https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2020/08/24/lifetime-achiever-judge-adele-grubbs/ Lifetime Achiever: Judge Adele Grubbs]</ref> Grubbs was the first woman assistant district attorney in Cobb County and was elected to the county’s Superior Court in 2000.<ref>[https://patch.com/georgia/southcobb/retiring-cobb-judge-adele-grubbs-be-honored Retiring Cobb Judge Adele Grubbs To Be Honored]</ref> She retired after the end of her 2016 term and was appointed as a Senior Judge in 2017.
-When asked whether McMaster's view changes if Ms. McLaws was mistaken about the actual words used by Judge Schuster, McMaster responded: "Not at all. [Judge Schuster] shouldn't even open that door from the bench. If his gossip has a place at all, it's not in the courtroom."
+===The Honorable G. Grant Brantley===
+The Honorable G. Grant Brantley was born in Georgia and grew up in Griffin. Brantley graduated from Emory Law School in 1964 before joining the Air Force as a judge advocate. He moved to Cobb County after his military stint and served in a variety of government positions including Cobb County Superior Court judge from 1980 to 1992. "He didn't seek reelection in 1992 because he was in the process of being nominated to the U.S. District Court by President George H. W. Bush. But the '92 election spoiled his call-up to the federal bench."<ref> [https://www.yahoo.com/video/portrait-unveiled-colleagues-honor-cobb-223900910.html Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley]</ref><ref> In 2005, Judge Grant Brantley ran against former Georgia Supreme Court Justice, Leah Ward Sears accusing Sears of being a “judicial activist.” The irony is that Brantley is now here engaging in judicial activism himself. See [https://www.timesenterprise.com/news/local_news/brantley-taking-on-039-activist-judge-039/article_4e836170-338a-5be3-ae67-d3faed34c66c.html Brantley taking on activist judge]</ref> Judge Brantley was appointed as a Senior Judge in 2007.
-==An Axe to Grind==
+===Follow the Money===
-In 2022, a mandamus petition was filed in Cobb County Superior Court naming Judge Grubbs as the defending party against two plaintiffs, Troy and Tatyana Ellis.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cobb_County_-_Judicial_Misconduct#Ellis_v._Grubbs_-_Cobb_County_Superior_Court.2C_Case_No._21-1-06837 ''Tatyana Ellis v. Adele Grubbs'', Cobb County Superior Court, Case No. 21106837]</ref> The plaintiffs sought legal consultation from attorney McMaster regarding the case. Though McMaster never entered the record as an attorney, Judge Grubbs was put on notice of McMaster's role in the matter when it was disclosed through discovery to Grubbs' attorney.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/0/0d/McMaster_AG_Rule_25_Affidavit.pdf McMaster Rule 25.2 Affidavit]</ref> Additionally, McMaster had been critical of Judge Robert E. Flournoy III in recent times for a number of reasons, one being Judge Flournoy's potential status as a disqualified senior judge based on a blemish with his application sent to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in October of 2022.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/1/1c/Flournoy_Open_Records.pdf Office of Brian Kemp, Open Records Request, In re Robert  E. Flournoy III]</ref> That issue has not been publicly addressed by the Governor; and based on what we now know about Judge Grubbs' status as a senior judge, she too may also be unqualified for the same procedural snafu.
+[[File:Money.gif|right|200px|money]]
+It is clear from above that both Judge Grubbs and Judge Brantley had very prominent legal careers and were highly regarded assets to the Cobb County justice system. However, at some point in their golden years, in their retirement tenures as Senior Judges, they appear to have wavered and fallen from foundations built on principles only to compromise their respective legacies. But for what? The most obvious answer reigns supreme: Money. Understanding how judges are paid sheds more light on the matter than is palatable.
+====Full-Time (Annual Salary) Elected Judges====
+Full-time Superior Court judgeships in the State of Georgia are '''salaried''' positions that are paid with State tax dollars and often times subsidized by the county in which they preside. In Cobb County for example, Superior Court judges have salaries paid for by both State and County taxpayers totaling around $200,000 annually.<ref>[https://eastcobbnews.com/cobb-superior-court-judges-to-get-4-percent-county-pay-raise/#:~:text=Their%20salaries%20are%20set%20by,went%20to%20qualified%20county%20employees. Cobb Superior Court judges to get 4 percent county pay raise]</ref> For their pay, these "elected" officials work full-time presiding over matters within their respective jurisdictions. Elected judges serve four year terms and must be re-elected by a majority of the voters within their county if they wish to remain on the bench. Thus, their job depends on the voters and, in turn, campaign donations. The end result: ''Full-Time elected Superior Court judges cater to their campaign donors.'' In other words, campaign donors and political supporters get preferential treatment and favorable results in cases regardless of the actual facts. The following chart illustrates how campaign donations influence a full-time judge's decisions:
+<br>
 <blockquote>
-''Senior judge status as provided in this Code section shall be acquired by a qualified former judge’s applying to the Governor for appointment as senior judge. The Governor shall appoint each qualified applicant as a senior judge.'' [https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2022/title-15/chapter-1/section-15-1-9-2/ O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2(a.2)].
+[[File:Elected Judge numbered cropped.png|center|550px|elected judge]]
 </blockquote>
-[[File:Thaicoon Sushi Bar.jpg|left|200px|Thaicoon Sushi & Bar at Marietta Square]]
+As shown above, [1] campaign donors contribute money to an elected judge's campaign, [2] campaign donors then gain influence over the elected judge's decisions and, in turn, the judge caters to the desires of his or her donors. [3] The elected judge uses his or her campaign funds to influence the voters increasing the likelihood of keeping his or her job in an election. [4] Taxpayer money funds the salary of the elected judge, though the taxpayers do not have influence over a judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.
-To add fuel to this fire, it was also reported that both Judge Flournoy and Judge Grubbs were seen out to lunch at Thaicoon & Sushi Bar at Marietta Square on April 18, 2023—the very same day that Judge Grubbs entered her questionable order appointing [https://zimmermanatlantalaw.com/our-team/barry/ Barry L. Zimmerman] as special master in the Fulton case, which was also the same day that Judge Schuster made his comment regarding Judge Grubbs and McMaster.<ref>[https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/f/ff/Affidavit_RM.pdf Affidavit of Rebecca McLaws]</ref>
+====Part-Time (Daily Pay Rate) Senior Judges====
+Part-time '''Senior Judges''' in the State of Georgia are paid by the State a '''daily''' rate “in the amount of the annual state salary of a judge of the applicable court, divided by 235.”<ref>O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)</ref> So, based on the $200,000 estimated Cobb County annual salary for elected judges, a Senior Judge presiding in Cobb County makes about $850 per day. These Senior Judges obtain their respective working days by having cases assigned to them by full-time judges. '''Mediator''' assignments are also court appointed roles that Senior Judges receive from full-time judges. And, when a Senior Judge serves as a mediator, he or she makes their money at a premium hourly rate, usually between $150 and $350 per hour. In short, a Senior Judge's job heavily depends on the will of the full-time judges. The end result: ''Part-time Senior Judges cater to the desires of the assigning full-time elected judges.'' Thus, if a full-time judge wants a specific outcome in a case, the part-time Senior Judge will make it so—simply to increase his or her opportunity for future appointments by that particular full-time judge.
-Judge Adele Grubbs and attorney Matt McMaster had not faced each other in any kind of trial or motion hearing in Judge Grubbs' history on the bench, despite both living amongst the same legal community and sharing the same home court. This was the first time and, given the reputation of both, one might have expected fireworks at the confrontation. There were none.
+====The Big Picture====
+In an article published in 2022, Cobb County State Court Judge, Carl Bowers, said that when Bowers went into private practice, “Brantley told him to remember he was not just practicing law, but running a business.”<ref>[https://sports.yahoo.com/portrait-unveiled-colleagues-honor-cobb-223900910.html Portrait unveiled as colleagues honor Cobb Judge Brantley]</ref> Interestingly, while a judge is a government position for the purpose of serving the public, Judge Brantley treats his judgeship exactly as a business, and nothing more.<ref>On May 18, 2015, Paulding County Industrial Building Authority attorneys filed a motion for the recusal of the Honorable Judge G. Grant Brantley on hearing a lawsuit brought by six local residents to prevent the development of Silver Comet Field where the "plaintiff's" attorney, Michael Bowers (father of Cobb County State Court Judge, Carl Bowers), was Brantley's former superior officer in the military and 30 year business and political associate.[http://letpauldingfly.com/img/LPFRecusalRelease-6-11-2015.pdf Judge Brantley Needs to Step Aside]. According to the article, ''Let Paulding Fly: Judge Brantley Needs To Step Aside'', "Judge Brantley and Mr. Bowers have a long and significant history that spans more than 30 years. Judge Brantley was Mr. Bowers’ subordinate when he served as Mr. Bowers’ lawyer as a staff judge advocate in the Air National Guard for 10 years, until 1992. During Mr. Bowers’ 1994 re-election campaign for Georgia Attorney General, Judge Brantley served as his treasurer. When Mr. Bowers ran for Governor in 1998, Judge Brantley again served as treasurer and contributed $5,000 to the campaign. From 2001 to 2007, Judge Brantley was Of Counsel to Mr. Bowers’ law firm – a business relationship that involved the
+firm paying for all of Judge Brantley’s overhead and a 50/50 split of all his fees. In 2004, Judge Brantley ran for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court and received almost $20,000 in campaign contributions from Bowers himself and Bowers’ law firm and family members. In 2009, when Judge Brantley sued to collect legal fees owed him, his attorney was Mr. Bowers, the case went on until 2012. In addition, this week it was revealed that Mr. Bowers’ son was Judge Brantley’s former law clerk." ''See also'' secure [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/images/c/ce/Let_Paulding_Fly_Recusal_Release-6-11-2015.pdf (PDF) version]. "In 2003, [Mike] Bowers started a government relations and lobbying firm with his son Bruce Bowers and John Watson, the political consultant for Georgia's then-governor, Sonny Perdue. Bowers said they had a simple objective: 'to make money.'" ''Mike Bowers'', [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bowers#cite_note-22 Wikipedia] (citing Massey, Bowers & Hembree (19 Jan 2003). "New business for Bowers". ''Atlanta Business Chronicle''. Retrieved 11 July 2012.)</ref> The below chart illustrates how the "business" of a Superior Court judge is conducted:
+<br>
+<blockquote>
+[[File:Full Diagram numbered cropped.png|center|800px|elected judge]]
+'''Elected Judge'''<br>
+[1] Campaign donors contribute money to an elected judge's campaign.
-==A Truly "Special" Master==
+[2] Campaign donors, by virtue of their donations, gain influence over the elected judge's decisions and, in turn, the judge caters to the desires of his or her donors.
-So what makes the appointment of Barry L. Zimmerman as special master so questionable? A reasonable Google search reveals more than is palatable.
-===Former Alpharetta judge was personal attorney for city prosecutor===
+[3] The elected judge then uses his or her campaign funds to influence the voters and the judge is therefore able to increase the likelihood of keeping his or her job in an election.
-According to an article written by [https://www.ajc.com/neighborhoods/north-fulton/former-alpharetta-judge-was-personal-attorney-for-city-prosecutor/QIU2EWWPXNFELMVGU6ICOX4KKE/ Adrianne Murchison and published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution] in July of 2022, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) found "reasonable cause" that Zimmerman "violated the code of judicial conduct.” It has since been confirmed that while Zimmerman was acting as the Alpharetta Municipal Court Judge, he "presided over thousands of cases argued by a solicitor who had hired him to be her private attorney," which is of course a conflict of interest.
-"The JQC resolved its investigation against Zimmerman in June when he decided to step down from the bench. He agreed not to accept any elected or appointed judicial office in the future 'in lieu of formal charges,' the JQC report states. The report said the agreement is 'a fair disposition of the matter and is in the interests of justice.'"<ref>[https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/S22J1115-JQC-Rule-11.A-Report-of-the-JQC.pdf In re Judge Barry Zimmerman, JQC Disposition (2022)]</ref>
+[4] Taxpayer money funds the salary of the elected judge, though the taxpayers do not have influence over a judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.
-{{#evt:
+<br>
-service=youtube
+<br>
-|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU0cUgITofs
+'''Senior Judge'''<br>
-|alignment=right
+[5] The elected judge assigns a case to a senior judge.
-}}
-===Alpharetta judge presided over cases, represented defendants at same time, investigation finds===
+[6] The senior judge is compensated with tax dollars at a '''daily''' rate “in the amount of the annual state salary of a judge of the applicable court, divided by 235.”<ref>O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2 (2022)</ref> Though, the taxpayers do not have influence over a senior judge's decisions because taxes are mandated by the government and the tax paid salary is not the result of a judge's performance on the bench.
-In a [https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/alpharetta-judge-presided-over-cases-represented-defendants-same-time-investigation-finds/HUPKU3OKHJBU5A6RV67BXLB2Z4/ story by Bryan Mims of WSB-TV], it was reported that Zimmerman acted as both lawyer and judge in at least six cases dating back to 2008. Zimmerman denied the accusations. According to the investigation by the City of Alpharetta: "Instead of removing the case from the Municipal Court of Alpharetta to the State Court of Fulton County, Judge Zimmerman would negotiate the case with Solicitor Fran McQueen, use attorney Keith Brandon as a ‘straw man’ defense attorney on a plea in absentia and then have another Judge for the Municipal Court sign the orders."
-"It was just devastating to think that the person in charge of making sure our court system worked well and worked legally was also the person who seems to have let us down," said city attorney Randy Rich.
+[7] The elected judge uses this case assignment power to influence the senior judge and the senior judge, in turn, caters to the desires of the elected judge in order to increase the likelihood of being assigned to cases in the future.<ref>In 2021, Cobb County Superior Court Judge, Robert D. Leonard II, assigned Judge Adele Grubbs to a case after it was discovered that Judge Leonard appointed a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to a case in consideration of the GAL’s substantial campaign contribution. ''See'' [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cobb_County_-_Judicial_Misconduct#A_Participant_in_Cobb.27s_Notorious_.22Pay-to-Play.22_Way Cobb County - Judicial Misconduct: A Participant in Cobb's Notorious 'Pay-to-Play' Way]. Judge Grubbs then sanctioned the husband (who was not even a party to the case) of the mother fighting for custody. The Court of Appeals reversed Grubbs’ unlawful order against the nonparty. ''Ellis v. Seaver'', 367 Ga.App. 322, 885 S.E.2d 817 (2023)("Because Ellis was not a party to the case, the trial court lacked authority under OCGA § 9-15-14 to impose these fees. We therefore reverse the trial court's award.").</ref>
 <br>
 <br>
-But why would Judge Grubbs appoint a special master whose ethics have been so severely questioned that he is barred from serving as a judge in the State of Georgia?
+'''Mediator'''<br>
+[8] The elected judge assigns a case to a mediator (who is often times also a campaign donor and/or a senior judge).
+[9] The parties in the case are ordered to mediation for the purpose of trying to settle the case.
+[10] The parties are ordered to pay the mediator at an hourly rate usually between $150 and $350 per hour.
-=Appearance Is Everything=
+[11] The elected judge uses this mediator assignment power to influence the senior judge and the senior judge, in turn, caters to the desires of the elected judge in order to increase the likelihood of being assigned as a mediator in the future.
-The Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct ("CJC") prohibits not just impropriety but, rather, the CJC bars the mere "appearance of impropriety."<ref>[https://casetext.com/rule/georgia-court-rules/georgia-code-of-judicial-conduct/canons/canon-1-judges-shall-uphold-the-independence-integrity-and-impartiality-of-the-judiciary-and-shall-avoid-impropriety-and-the-appearance-of-impropriety-in-all-of-their-activities/rule-12-promoting-public-confidence-in-the-judiciary#:~:text=The%20test%20for%20appearance%20of,impartiality%2C%20and%20competence%20is%20impaired. CJC Rule 1.2]</ref> And here, it certainly ''appears'' that Senior Judges (Grubbs and Schuster) are being used to do the dirty work of the underlying elected judges (Leftridge and Leonard), though without facing the consequences of having to fight for re-election as the elected judge would. By design, it is all a ''facade'' and we are left with but one solution: '''Hold the elected judges accountable for the acts of their Senior Judges.'''
+</blockquote>
+*''See also'' [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cobb_County_-_Judicial_Misconduct#A_Participant_in_Cobb.27s_Notorious_.22Pay-to-Play.22_Way Cobb County - Judicial Misconduct: A Participant in Cobb's Notorious 'Pay-to-Play' Way]
+<!--Perhaps Brantley’s many years of government employment were never about serving the public; but rather, purely for the money and personal gain. After all, one would be naive to believe that Brantley simply changed for the worse in his retirement and that this whole “chasing the almighty dollar” is a new leaf for Brantley. Tragically, who Judge Brantley is now is probably who he has always been.-->
+=Short-Sighted Swan Song=
+It ''appears'' that heavily distinguished and once well respected Cobb County judges have in retirement abandoned their principles and are enabling injustice at the expense of their good names. And what exactly changed (if anything) that transformed these once highly regarded judicial leaders into mere henchmen of the establishment?
+<br>
+<br>
+The most obvious answer prevails: '''How these judges make their money.'''
 <br>
 <br>
 By
 [[File:Signature wiki law NJ.png|left|256px|Author]]<br><br>
 <br>
 If you are aware of similar problems in Georgia legal matters, send the details and documents here: https://navigatingjustice.org/reporting/
 <br>
-May 1, 2023
 <br>
+November 7, 2023
+==See also==
+*Part 1: [[Karma prevails and Recusal Motion ensues]]
+*Part 2: [[Fulton Sheriff wrongfully evicts Mother and children]]
+*Part 3: [[Georgia Ethics Code Does Not Apply To Fulton Judges]]
+*Part 4: [[Cobb County judge sets the record straight in Fulton, or is it all a facade?]]
 =References=
 <references/>

Difference between revisions of "Fulton Judiciary Weaponizes Project ORCA"