DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA. — A former Douglas County probate judge has filed a sweeping civil lawsuit against the City of Atlanta and an Atlanta police officer, alleging excessive use of force, reputational harm, and the dissemination of misleading public information following her arrest last year.
Christina Peterson, who was arrested outside an Atlanta nightclub in June 2024, is seeking more than $50 million in damages. While the arrest drew public attention at the time, most of the criminal charges against Peterson were dismissed months later, a development her lawsuit argues was overshadowed by the city’s public portrayal of the incident.
According to the complaint, Peterson maintains that she was attempting to intervene during a dispute in a nightclub parking lot to prevent a man from attacking a woman when police arrived on the scene. Her lawsuit alleges that Officer Keith Wadsworth used unnecessary and excessive force during the arrest and acted with “actual malice and intent to injure.”
Peterson also accuses the City of Atlanta of releasing arrest narratives and body camera footage that she says falsely depicted her as committing violent felony offenses. The lawsuit claims those materials were shared despite knowledge that the accounts were inaccurate or misleading, causing lasting damage to her reputation and career…