A Georgia judge, Christina Peterson, was arrested after an altercation at an Atlanta-area nightclub, and she claims it was a “setup” as she was attempting to intervene in an attack on a woman. According to the arresting officer, he was not initially involved in the altercation but was struck in the face with a closed fist by Peterson.
Peterson, 38, has been charged with battery and felony obstruction following the incident. Released bodycam footage shows her striking the officer, as well as refusing to provide her name or cooperate with law enforcement during the arrest process.
While being taken to jail, Peterson became increasingly agitated, declaring, “The last person that ever tried me like this died 30 days later,” and making vague threats, including, “I pray for you.”
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Peterson claimed the event was a setup and that an officer initially accused her of disorderly conduct before escalating to a felony charge. She expressed outrage about being charged, highlighting her claimed injuries, including bruises, black eye, and a swollen knee.
A news conference was held Friday with Peterson’s lawyer, Marvin Arrington Jr., stating that the charges against her should be dropped and requesting District Attorney Fani Willis review the case. Arrington claimed two eyewitnesses asserted that Peterson was solely attempting to help victim Alexandria Love, who was being violently attacked outside Red Martini nightclub.
Love backed Arrington, indicating that Peterson didn’t aim to hit the officer, who she alleges was unconcerned with addressing the aggressive man assaulting Love. Arrington suggested the incident escalated due to confusion during a chaotic scene.
Prior to the current arrest, Peterson faced a judicial misconduct investigation into 30 alleged breaches of the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
