Ga. Supreme Court: Ex-Fulton judge faces revived ethics case if she returns to bench

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled Tuesday that former Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shermela J. Williams committed 28 violations of judicial ethics that would have warranted her removal from the bench, but dismissed the disciplinary case because she resigned earlier this year. Under the decision, the dismissal is without prejudice, meaning the state’s judicial watchdog agency, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), could reopen disciplinary proceedings if Williams ever seeks judicial office or becomes a judge again in Georgia. Williams, who first took the bench in January 2021 and was reelected in 2024, stepped down from her judicial seat in February 2026 while formal ethics charges were pending before the high court.

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Scoop News DeskAtlanta, Georgia area (publisher market; exact incident location not stated) · Published Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 2:07 PM UTCUpdated Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 2:40 PM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

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While she was a judge, Williams was accused of: Illegally detaining and jailing a young witness during a divorce/custody matter without lawful authority Improperly trying to influence a case involving a family member Improper ex parte communications, which are communications about cases outside the presence of the other side Chronic delays in issuing orders/rulings in family-law cases Should Williams qualify as a judicial candidate in the future, the Supreme Court ordered that proceedings would instantly resume at the sanction phase, with the 28 violations remaining legally established.