Published: 16:16 EST, 19 January 2026 | Updated: 16:49 EST, 19 January 2026 A Democrat judge arrested outside an Atlanta nightclub has claimed the officers used ‘excessive force’ during the takedown. Former Douglas County probate judge Christina Peterson has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Atlanta police of ‘violently’ slamming her to the ground and applying ‘compressive force’ to her neck and back during her 2024 arrest outside Red Martini in Buckhead. The suit, filed last Tuesday, has named both the City of Atlanta and the arresting officer as defendants. Peterson was charged at the time with simple battery and felony obstruction after police said she punched an officer working security, though prosecutors later dropped the case. Body‑camera footage released after the incident shows Peterson running toward an officer and security guard during a sidewalk dispute, then pushing and swiping at the officer before being taken to the ground and handcuffed. While restrained on the pavement, she can be heard shouting, ‘Don’t touch me!’, as officers repeatedly asked for her name. Later, inside a patrol car, she told officers, ‘Take me where you wanna take me. … Take me where you need to t
