Just When You Thought The “Good Ole Boy” Game Was Done, There’s (Ex-)judge Becker
By Ben Sessions on August 25th, 2015 in Criminal Defense
It is no wonder that criminal defendants continue to labor under the impression that results in a criminal case in Georgia are contingent most upon who you know. Today, Special Prosecutor Parks White of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit announced that he was dismissing the 7-count indictment issued last week against former DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker. The indictment against Becker included four counts of false statements to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) during its ethics investigation of her. Becker faced 2 counts of making false statements in writing to the JQC. Finally, Becker was indicted for a misdemeanor charge of obstructing the JQC’s investigation.
THE BREAK JUDGE BECKER RECEIVED THAT NO “REGULAR” CRIMINAL DEFENDANT WILL GET
As the basis for the dismissal of the indictment, Special Prosecutor Parks White stated:
By agreeing to never seek judicial office again and apologizing for the statements that resulted in the time and effort expended in investigating and presenting this case, Judge Becker has accepted responsibility,” White wrote in an email. “I believe that this resolution satisfies the ends of justice.”
It simply baffles me how the decision to seek an indictment can be reconciled with this decision. What is more troubling however is the integrity of the criminal justice system in Georgia which is called into question with each of these decisions. It was only a year or so ago that David McDade, the former Douglas County District Attorney, was given a sweetheart deal that permitted him to continue working as a prosecutor despite acts that would have landed any criminal defendant in jail if they occurred under his watch as District Attorney.
Judge Becker’s case smells of the good ole boy system that we struggle to break from.
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