Rulings in the Read civil case, I couldn’t help but think how sad it is that anyone sees even a faint resemblance to Handmaid’s Tale. When the process, power, or narrative appear to outweigh the search 4 truth, public trust suffers. Our courts should never invite that comparison.
Entitlement or Arrogance?
I have nothing to say about the merits of the motions filed by either side. I do not follow these cases closely, Anti-SLAPP litigation is not my area of expertise, and I am not taking sides in this dispute.
What does concern me is the troubling language used by Judge Gildea. Throughout my years on the bench, It was made clear that judges should focus on the legal sufficiency of a filing, not characterize the attorney who filed it. Appellate courts have repeatedly cautioned trial judges against abandoning clinical, objective language in favor of inflammatory commentary.
The issue is not whether a motion was deficient. Judges have every right—and obligation—to say so. The concern arises when criticism shifts from the filing itself to language suggesting an attorney acted out of "arrogance" or a sense of "entitlement."
As the United States Supreme Court noted in Liteky v. United States, judicial comments can raise concerns when they reflect a degree of personal antagonism that causes the public to question whether impartial judgment remains possible. There is a line that cannot be crossed.
For twenty years, I lived under the Massachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct. Rule 1.2 requires judges to act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary. That obligation extends beyond actual impartiality; it includes avoiding the appearance of partiality.
#KarenRead wins again. Helps when facts are on your side. Diller in court today….I'm sorry for what I said when I was temporarily acting like a human dumpster fire. 😂 Karen looked beautiful.
PSA: Don't ever find yourself falsely accused in GA... because a jury of your peers might just have about just as much common sense a squirrel in traffic. #justice for #tarabaker and #EdrickFaust sick sick sick #blessyourhearts i said what I said
Ahmad Crews: “Not here, not now — not on OUR watch… You folks are the LAST LINE of defense between an innocent man and a system that has tried to break him.” 🇺🇸
Bias has no place in a criminal investigation!
Free Edrick Faust!
#EdrickFaust#TaraBaker#Georgia
This closing is giving me chills. #nohouseNOFAUST Awesome closing Mr. Crews. Job well done. Proud of your heart and passion for your client and the law.
#garthbrooks catching strays in the #edrickfaust case. 😳 I wish he would have quoted Reba. She sang a song about this case. “The judge in this town has bloodstains on her hands”
EVERYONE… I mean everyone should listen to #ahmadcrews closing in the BS case against #edrickfaust. #lisalott as a judge was a joke. #daKalki is a joke with all the rules he broke to the law and his constituents. Nothing proves their case.