Difference between revisions of "Political Adversaries Cut From the Same Cloth"

Cobb County Senior Judge, Grant Brantley, challenged Justice Leah Ward Sears in 2004 for her seat on the Georgia Supreme Court bench in what was thought by some to be “the most expensive and high-profile court race in state history.”<ref>The Associated Press, [https://accesswdun.com/article/2004/7/165113 ''Supreme Court candidate releases sweeping endorsement'']</ref> Brantley's mantra at the time was that “[he] will interpret the law” and “[he] will not legislate.”<ref>The Moultrie Observer, [https://www.moultrieobserver.com/news/local_news/brantley-says-judge-race-pits-conservative-against-liberal/article_a4f49602-f74f-54c9-b563-0362714b7ffb.html Brantley says judge race pits conservative against liberal]</ref> In an article published with [https://www.timesenterprise.com/news/local_news/brantley-taking-on-039-activist-judge-039/article_4e836170-338a-5be3-ae67-d3faed34c66c.html ''Thomasville Times-Enterprise''], written by Mark Lastinger, Brantley insisted that his opponent (Sears) was a “judicial activist” and that he and Sears were “different as night and day.”<ref>Thomasville Times-Enterprise, [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> But now, in recent years, both Sears and Brantley show that they were cut from the same cloth—Brantley turning toward judicial activism for his money-making retirement plan.<ref>Navigating Justice, thewikilaw.org, [https://thewikilaw.org/wiki/index.php?title=Fulton_Judiciary_Weaponizes_Project_ORCA ''Fulton Judiciary Weaponizes Project ORCA'']. 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>

While Justice Leah Ward Sears won her 2004 re-election against Brantley, she resigned from the Georgia Supreme Court bench in 2009. Since then she has worked various jobs, for various organizations and in different capacities. In 2021, Sears served as chair of Warnock and Ossoff’s Federal Nominations Advisory Commission alongside Allegra Lawrence Hardy, who previously served as the chair of '''Stacey Abrams’''' gubernatorial campaign.<ref>''The Atlanta Journal Constitution'', [https://www.ajc.com/politics/group-advising-ossoff-warnock-on-federal-appointments-includes-civil-rights-activists/FGHWHJU4TVCZ7AZSCNSYIZYH4Q/ Group advising Ossoff, Warnock on federal appointments includes civil rights activists]</ref> In December of 2021, Sears was selected by the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) as outside-independent counsel for Chuck Boring, the JQC director at the time, to serve in his capacity as director over a JQC complaint against Cobb County Superior Court Judge, Rob Leonard II (a complaint from which Boring recused himself). When the JQC learned that [https://mcmasterforcobb.com/ Matt McMaster] was challenging Leonard in the May 2022 election, Sears rapidly dismissed the JQC complaint against Leonard. Charles Ford entered the race for Judge Leonard’s seat just weeks later.