Federal judge resigns nearly a year after his arrest
Corrected: U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller of Alabama has announced he will resign effective Aug. 1, nearly a year after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his then-wife at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta.
Fuller announced the resignation on Friday, report the Montgomery Advertiser, Al.com, the Daily Report (sub. req.) and the New York Times.
After Fuller’s arrest, the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reassigned his cases and appointed a special committee to investigate. Fuller received counseling for domestic violence as part of a pretrial diversion program, which led to dismissal of the battery charge against him.
Fuller’s lawyer, Barry Ragsdale, told the Daily Report that he couldn’t comment on the status of the judiciary’s investigation. “I cannot comment on the status of the investigation, where it is, or whether the committee has reported or not,” Ragsdale said. The publication asked Ragsdale whether Fuller would receive any retirement benefits, and Ragsdale said he couldn’t elaborate.
Updated on June 2 to correct the location of the alleged assault to the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta.
