Perdue replaces two disgraced Fayette judges
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday picked the head of the state's public defender agency and a former district attorney to replace two Fayette County Superior Court judges who resigned earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
The governor filled the vacancies by naming Mack Crawford, a former state lawmaker who is director of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council, and W. Fletcher Sams, the former DA who is now a Fayette State Court judge. Perdue named Atlanta lawyer Carla McMillian to replace Sams on the State Court bench.
In April, Judge Johnnie Caldwell resigned after a local lawyer accused him of repeatedly sexually harassing her with crude comments. The following week, Judge Paschal English resigned after disclosures he was having an affair with a public defender who appeared before him in court.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
