Three people reported injuries after a pistol belonging to Clayton County Superior Court Judge Aaron Mason discharged inside Señor Bird's Tacos and Tequila Bar in Athens on Sept. 15. The round struck the floor beneath Mason's chair, and tile debris hit at least one diner. All three declined medical treatment, according to police.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department reported the incident, which was covered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The gun was identified as a Glock 27.
Mason told authorities the gun fired accidentally when he reached for his wallet, which was in the same pocket as the firearm, according to the AJC's account. The bullet chipped the restaurant's tile flooring.
Debris Hits Diners, Including a 22-Year-Old Man in the Head
One of the three people who reported injuries was a 22-year-old man struck in the head by floor debris. It remains unclear what caused the other two people’s injuries, according to police spokesperson Katie Jenkins, as cited in the AJC report. All three declined medical treatment.
The report on the incident was written by Reed Williams, an enterprise reporter on the local team at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Mason's Judicial Career in Clayton County
Mason has served as a Clayton County Superior Court judge since Jan. 4, 2017, when he was sworn in by then-Gov. Nathan Deal, according to Georgia Superior Courts. He serves in the Clayton Judicial Circuit. Before joining the Superior Court, Mason served as a Clayton County State Court judge, the same source notes.
How Georgia Handles Judicial Conduct Complaints
The Georgia Courts’ Judicial Qualifications Commission says it investigates complaints of ethical misconduct by Georgia judges. The commission’s rules state that its jurisdiction covers alleged Code of Judicial Conduct violations whether a judge’s conduct occurs on or off the bench, according to the Judicial Qualifications Commission of Georgia. Those sources describe the commission’s role and jurisdiction; they do not establish whether a complaint related to this incident has been filed or what information might be public in any particular case.
