Fulton County judges sign letter saying they've 'lost confidence' in court clerk

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The chairman of the Fulton County Commissioner says a riff between two elected officials has become embarrassing and hurts taxpayers the most. 

Chairman Robb Pitts says the feud between the chief magistrate and the county clerk has gone on for too long. He says the elected officials have to start working together.

In an unprecedented move, all 10 of the Fulton County Magistrate Court judges signed a letter to their boss, Chief Judge Cassandra Kirk, informing her they have "lost confidence" in the current clerk Tina Robinson.

Part-time Magistrate Judge Cheryl Treadwell shared some of the problems.

"The clerk won't accept certain filing from the judges which we believe is mandated under the statute as outlined in the letter. We do not have consistent in-person support, and there's also issues with notice - or hearing notices rather - going out to litigants they are not always mailed on time," Treadwell complained.

The conflict got so serious, the chief magistrate sued Robinson over magistrate court duties in 2019.

Now Pitts says the feud must stop.

"We cannot legislate or make public policy based on the fact that two grown women can't get along," Pitts said with frustration.

Pitts says he has a legislative solution.

"The trend is a consolidated approached which is what we are pursuing now. The classic example is what they are doing in Gwinnett County," the Fulton County chairman said.

Pitts says creating a designated clerk for magistrate court, as the judges want to do, is too expensive for taxpayers.

"I understand that some of the judges don't like Ms. Robinson. That is too bad. She's elected, they are going to have to work with her, and she is going to have to work with Judge Kirk and Judge Kirk will have to work with her," the chairman said Monday.

Robinson wrote in a letter to Commissioners last week: "I now request that all the hellacious fabrications that the Chief Magistrate Continues STOP." The clerk went on the say a designated clerk for magistrate court would be too expensive for Fulton County taxpayers.

Pitts says the feud has been going on six or seven months.

Kirk released a statement that said in part, "It is my responsibility as the elected Chief Judge of the Magistrate Court of Fulton County to ensure Fulton residents and court-users receive the support needed to fully utilize the Court. I have attempted to remedy this situation since 2019."

Pitts says his legislation to consolidate all three courts with one clerk will be on Wednesday's commission agenda.