What happens when the judge in your court case faces serious legal trouble of their own? It’s a question now confronting College Park business owner Roderick Rogers.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shermela Williams, who has presided over Rogers’ legal dispute with the city of College Park, is facing multiple misconduct allegations brought by the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission. The commission has recommended to the Georgia Supreme Court that Judge Williams be removed from her position.
Two hearings in Rogers’ case, both scheduled before Judge Williams in recent months, were postponed. On Monday, his attorney, Erin Coleman, declined to comment directly on the allegations against Williams but said she had not been informed whether a hearing planned for later this month would be rescheduled or reassigned to another judge.
Coleman has argued that Rogers Repair Shop is being unfairly targeted through city-issued violations and zoning enforcement. She contends that the business is a legally nonconforming operation, grandfathered under a 1965 ordinance, and that it has been wrongfully shut down for several months.
As Rogers awaits his next day in court, questions surround Williams, who was elected in 2020 and took office in 2021.
According to a report filed with the Georgia Supreme Court on Oct. 2, the commission found that Judge Williams violated multiple rules of judicial conduct. The findings cite dishonest testimony, illegal jailing of an individual, improper ex parte communications, and use of judicial prestige for personal interests.
Formal charges were first filed in June 2024, with additional charges added in February 2025. Hearings were held this past spring and summer, culminating in the panel’s unanimous recommendation that Williams be removed from her post.
The report accuses the judge of “willful misconduct,” including the illegal jailing of a court witness in October 2023 and unauthorized contact with an associate at a law firm regarding a case in which she had no judicial role.
The Georgia Supreme Court will now review the commission’s recommendation and determine whether Judge Williams will remain on the bench.
Rogers Auto has been a great business in College Park. They have followed all of regulations handed down by College Park. Let them make a living.