Judge accused of trying to cover up chronic tardiness and absenteeism
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An Atlanta judge who was chronically late and persistently absent compounded her problems when she tried to cover it up, according to allegations in an ethics complaint filed last Wednesday.
According to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, Municipal Judge Terrinee Gundy tried to conceal her tardiness and absences by causing the disabling of audio visual systems and ordering the court operations manager to stop distributing case count calendars.
She is also accused of misrepresenting her involvement in cover-up attempts and misrepresenting the extent of her absences in statements to the commission’s investigative panel.
The commission also alleged that Gundy caused defendants to be unlawfully jailed because she did not give them required hearings. The complaint lists at least six defendants who were jailed in 2017 because they did not get hearings.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV and the Daily Report have coverage. Gundy’s lawyer did not comment on the ethics charges when contacted by the publications.
WSB-TV and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had published previous investigative stories that raised questions about Gundy’s alleged erratic attendance and her spending of public money on glass sculptures, engraved envelopes and a party hosted by former Mayor Kasim Reed, who appointed Gundy to the bench.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reported that taxpayers were billed $56,000 for Gundy’s legal defense in the ethics case before the new city attorney said public money should not be used.
The ethics charges say Gundy used court resources for matters unrelated to court business, for the benefit of herself and others. Details are not provided.
Gundy has been a municipal judge since 2013. She is also accused of:
• Trying to improperly influence the appointment of a public defender;
• Threatening to fire a security officer if he did not get her seats for the 2018 mayoral inauguration;
• And using profane language to respond to an inquiry by another municipal judge.
