ATLANTA — Community members are responding after a Fulton County judge warned he could issue a gag order against District Attorney Fani Willis in the future and criticized comments she previously made at a church.
In Friday's ruling on whether to disqualify Willis from Georgia's 2020 election interference case, Judge Scott McAfee said he did not find that Willis' relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade amounted to a conflict of interest that should disqualify her from the case.
He ended up offering her two choices: either she could step aside, along with the entire District Attorney's Office and refer the case to the Prosecuting Attorney's Council for reassignment, or Wade could withdraw from the case.
Wade ended up tendering his resignation that same day, but in addition to the overall ruling, McAfee took time to mention a speech Willis gave in January at Big Bethel AME Church.
Willis was honored as part of the church's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration service and used her time at the pulpit to address the congregation about the hearing and challenges she's faced both personally and professionally.
"I appointed three special counsels as is my right to do, but they only attacked one," Willis said at the time.
McAfee wrote in his ruling that Willis’ comments at the church about the case were “legally improper” and warned of a potential gag order against Willis in the future.
"Providing this type of public comment creates dangerous waters for the District Attorney to wade further into," McAfee wrote.
Now, people are talking both inside and outside the church about the judge's ruling and comments about Willis' speech.
For instance, parishioner Keith Burnett said he was there the day Willis gave her speech and was moved by it.
“She talked about demons. She talked about darkness. She talked about the fact that she’s doing her job and she did everything in her power to pick the right people," Burnett said.
Burnett also said he thought the judge's decision to allow Willis to stay on the case depending on whether Wade resigned was fair.
“I felt like his decision was spot on because the people on the other side made it a moral thing and it wasn’t a moral thing," said Burnett.
In addition, Associate Emory Law Professor John Acevedo said he was a bit shocked that the judge took the time to address Willis' previous remarks.
“I was surprised that he admonished her at the church because it wasn’t directly about these defendants," Acevedo said.
Acevedo said he felt the judge's criticism of comments Willis made at the church wasn't necessary, but he admired the way the judge ruled.
“I think his decision really reflects his desire to end distractions in this case," Acevedo said.