Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver, under fire for helping obtain an indictment against a local newspaper publisher and his lawyer, has resigned as a member and chair of the state's judicial watchdog agency.
Weaver, chief judge of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, announced her resignation in a message sent Friday to fellow Judicial Qualifications Commission board members.
“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity I was given to serve as a member and as the chairperson of this commission,” Weaver wrote. “The work of this commission is extremely important and nothing and no one should distract from its duties and responsibilities.”
Weaver made no mention of the controversy that's engulfed her since the June 24 indictment against Fannin Focus publisher Mark Thomason and his lawyer, Russell Stookey.
This occurred after Thomason filed an Open Records Act request for copies of cashed checks that he described as being “illegally cashed.” For that, Thomason was charged with making a false statement.
Thomason and Stookey were also indicted on identity theft charges for seeking copies of checks drawn on accounts of the judges in the three-county Appalachian Judicial Circuit. Both men were arrested and jailed.
Weaver has said she asked District Attorney Alison Sosebee to obtain the indictment because she didn’t like it when her honesty was questioned.
After a public outcry, Weaver asked Sosebee to drop the charges and they were eventually dismissed.
This week, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a federal grand jury had served a subpoena asking for public documents as to how judges in the Appalachian circuit spend public funds.
In July, the Georgia chapter of the Society of Profession Journalists filed an ethics complaint against Weaver and accused her of inappropriately trying to silence a critic.
“Judge Brenda Weaver is a true public servant who has given many years of service to the people of our state,” said Richard Hyde, a member of the JQC. “She has shown outstanding leadership by putting the interest of the public above her own.”
In her message to commission members, Weaver noted she presides over the Adult Felony Drug Court and the Veterans Court in her circuit.
“Last night, we had a total of 10 participants who graduated from the two courts,” Weaver wrote. “I plan to use the additional time I now will have to continue to expand and improve the services that these courts provide for the citizens of my circuit.”
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