Flournoy Train Leads Newbie Off A Cliff
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 Mr. Freedman, perhaps the Cobb County taxpayers should be weary of her selection.
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 may believe that she is benefitting from the continued employment of Mr. Freedman, perhaps the Cobb County taxpayers should be weary of her selection.
And why should the Cobb County taxpayer care?
Staff Attorneys - The Phantom Menace
Purpose of Classification: 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.
The Staff Attorney Is An Extension of Their Judge
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.
The Runaway Train…
Staff Attorney Matt Freedman spent years under the guidance of Robert E. Flournoy III, perhaps one of Cobb County’s most controversial Superior Court judges, not known for his integrity but well known for his poor temperament 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 fight to save his job against two challengers in the 2022 election.
In a comparable case that Judge Sonja Brown is presently presiding over, a Guardian ad Litem was the former attorney of 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 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 the 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.
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.
What We Can Expect