The disqualification of Tiffani Johnson, a judicial candidate for Fulton County, was upheld yesterday by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge, Stacey K. Hydrick. Johnson had sought to overturn an order issued by the Office of State Administrative Hearings Judge Ronit Walker, which removed her from the race for Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s seat.
Kurt Kastorf, a representative for Johnson from Kastorf Law, expressed surprise at an admission by the secretary of state. According to Kastorf, Johnson would have been deemed qualified to run under the office’s interpretation of O.C.G.A. § 21-2-132. However, as the hearing proceeded, opposition parties asserted with increasing frequency that the ruling should remain narrowly focused on the issue at hand.
In counsel arguing to support Johnson’s disqualification, one lawyer stated, “If I say Johnson is 12 years old and she can’t run, it might be wrong, but she’s not there to rebut it. That’s all Judge Walker heard”. With this statement, he highlighted the importance of having the candidate’s perspective when making such determinations.
For more details on this case, please refer to the original report available in the Daily Report Online.