DeKalb judge who jailed lawyer over court delay faces suspension

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A prominent Atlanta attorney is pushing back as the Georgia Supreme Court prepares to decide the fate of DeKalb Superior Court Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith, who ordered his arrest after he allegedly arrived late to court. 

DeKalb judicial ethics review

What we know:

Gerald Griggs, a 48-year-old attorney and former president of the Atlanta and Georgia NAACP chapters, arrived in Judge Yolanda Parker-Smith’s courtroom around 10:30 a.m. in August 2024. Despite filing a conflict letter and having his staff call the judge's chambers to inform her, deputies immediately handcuffed Griggs and moved him to a basement holding cell for three hours. 

The next day, Griggs filed a Judicial Qualifications Commission complaint. The JQC verified the incident and detailed two other cases where Parker-Smith threatened to arrest the DeKalb district attorney and an assistant DA, along with a reported conflict with a deputy sheriff. The commission recommended a 90-day suspension without pay. 

Georgia Supreme Court decision

What we don't know:

The Georgia Supreme Court has not yet issued a final ruling on whether to accept the JQC recommendation or grant Parker-Smith's request for a lighter reprimand. Parker-Smith admitted to making mistakes and expressed a willingness to accept corrective action, but justices have not revealed when they will hand down their decision. 

Ethics panel recommendation

What they're saying:

"I was quiet because I was shocked and honestly I was hurt," Griggs said. "Arrived in Judge Parker Smith's courtroom, probably 10:30 or so, was taken into custody. No questions asked. I walked in, the deputy said, put your hands behind your back. I'm kind of shocked, like what do you mean put your hands behind your back? I looked and glanced at her, she looked down. He put my hands behind my back, took me in the back holding cell, took Spaniard down to the basement. I sat there for three hours." 

Griggs added that a reprimand falls far short of an acceptable penalty. "I think 90 days is the floor," Griggs said. "Now, my hope would have been she would have made a public apology and accepted the punishment. But to admit the conduct, but say, oh, it only rises to the level of a reprimand, what did I get a reprimanding? Did I get arrested? And I didn't get due process. I didn't get an opportunity to share my side prior to be incarcerated. So I think at the very least, 90 days, maybe more."

The other side:

In her formal rebuttal, Parker-Smith recognized that certain matters should have been handled differently, expressing a commitment to avoid similar conduct in the future.