Federal Judge Allegedly Has Affair With Law Clerk, Goes To Jail Over Domestic Violence Incident

This federal judge had an action-packed weekend...

It’s mid-August, and from what we’ve heard thus far, at least one federal judge with a lifetime appointment had an action-packed weekend.

As we mentioned in Morning Docket, Judge Mark Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama spent a night in jail after he allegedly had a violent altercation with his wife, Kelli Fuller. The Fullers were staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, Georgia, when all hell broke loose — as tends to happen when accusations of marital infidelities are mixed with alcohol.

Judge Fuller was released from jail Monday morning after paying $5,000 bond, but what caused these events to occur, and with whom did his wife accuse him of having an affair?

According to Decaturish, a locally sourced news site, the incident unfolded after Kelli Fuller accused her husband of marital transgressions. Per the site’s report, Judge Fuller’s “other woman” was allegedly one of his law clerks. Here’s some additional info on what allegedly went down, from the Associated Press:

Police say the judge was on the bed when they entered the room, which smelled of alcohol. There was broken glass and hair on the floor. Blood was discovered in the bathroom.

Kelli Fuller told police that her husband became violent after she accused him of having an affair with a law clerk in his Montgomery office. She said he pulled her hair, threw her to the ground and dragged her, kicked her and struck her several times in the face.

Mark Fuller told police that his wife became violent as she confronted him with allegations of cheating. The judge told police he was watching television when his wife threw a drink glass at him. He told officers that he grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground to defend himself.

Judge Fuller’s stepson, Hunter Gregg, was also on scene this weekend, and told police that “this was not the first time an incident like this had occurred.” Yikes. This keeps getting worse and worse. We’ve reached out to the Atlanta Police Department to obtain a copy of Judge Fuller’s arrest report. If and when we do hear back from the APD, we will be sure to update this post so you can take a look at it.

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Judge Fuller was carted off to jail shortly after the police arrived. He was charged with misdemeanor battery, a charge that typically carries a fine of up to $1,000 and is punishable by up to a year of jail time. Here’s Judge Fuller’s booking report from the Atlanta Police Department:

The Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press claims that this is not the first time Judge Fuller has been accused of domestic violence. When the jurist divorced his first wife, Lisa Boyd Fuller, in 2012, he requested that the court file be sealed for security reasons, as it allegedly contained “accusations of domestic violence, drug abuse and the judge’s alleged affair with his court bailiff.”

Judge Fuller is next due in court on August 22, 2014, for a probable cause hearing, even though his own docket in the Middle District of Alabama is quite full on that day. In the future, we’d suggest that His Honor stick to banging his gavel instead of allegedly banging his law clerks.

On a more serious note, if you’re involved in a verbally or physically abusive relationship, there are friends, family, and colleagues you can call. If you’re a victim of domestic violence, reach out if you need help. If you feel that you are in immediate danger, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Assistance is available in English and Spanish.

Federal Judge Accused of Hitting Wife in Argument [Associated Press]
Federal judge jailed after alleged domestic dispute [CNN]
Wife confronted U.S. judge about affair [Decaturish]
Montgomery circuit court seals file in U.S. district judge’s divorce proceedings [Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press]

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