The Georgia Supreme Court has suspended the law license of former state Court of Appeals judge and former state representative from Bartow/Floyd Counties Christian Coomer for two years. The suspension will end in August of the following year. Coomer was removed from the Court of Appeals by the Supreme Court due to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission’s recommendation, citing misuse of campaign funds and inappropriate dealings with a client before becoming a judge.
Coomer served as a state representative for eight years before being appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2018. He was elected for a full six-year term in 2020 but was suspended with pay in 2021 by the JQC for violating the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct. Following a three-month hearing, the JQC recommended removing Coomer from the bench.
The charges against Coomer were related to his relationship with a client, James Filhart, who he continued representing in other legal matters even after a successful case. Coomer accepted loans from Filhart and failed to report some transfers of campaign funds. He also took a trip to Hawaii for leisure under the guise of legislative business. Coomer repaid the loans and reimbursed his campaign account after investigations started.
The State Bar of Georgia approved the two-year suspension of Coomer’s law license as fitting, stating that Coomer had agreed to the suspension by petitioning for voluntary discipline.
From AM1180
