Judge recuses himself from Georgia school shooting case due to retirement

Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Nov 7, 2024

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ATLANTA — The judge overseeing the Barrow County school shooting case has recused himself due to his upcoming retirement.

The case was assigned to Judge Currie Mingledorff, who was on the bench for the initial court appearance by shooting suspect Colt Gray. On Wednesday, Mingledorff recused himself, court documents show.

“In the interest of efficient administration of justice and the judge’s impending retirement and the fact that Judge Mingledorff’s successor is a current assistant district attorney in the Piedmont Judicial Court, Judge Mingledorff hereby recuses himself,” the order states.

In 2008, Mingledorff was elected Superior Court Judge in the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, covering Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties.

The case was reassigned to Judge Sarah Griffie, appointed in August by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve as a Superior Court judge for the judicial circuit. Griffie was hired as an assistant district attorney in Barrow County in 2007 and had served as Chief Assistant District Attorney since 2016 prior to being named a judge.

Gray, 14, was charged with killing four people and injuring others during a shooting spree Sept. 4 at Apalachee High School. Last month, Gray entered a not guilty plea and waived his arraignment, or a formal reading of his charges in a courtroom, and requested his case go to trial, court documents show.

In October, Gray was indicted on 55 charges including: four counts of felony murder, four counts of malice murder, four counts of aggravated battery, 18 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and 25 counts of aggravated assault.

Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, both 14-year-old students, and teacher Cristina Irimie and coach Richard Aspinwall were killed in the shooting. There were a total of 25 victims, according to the indictment.

The teen’s father, Colin Gray, is also charged in the case. His case was also reassigned to Griffie.

Colin Gray is facing 29 charges for providing his son with the gun, including: two counts of murder in the second degree, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of reckless conduct and 20 counts of cruelty to children in the second degree.

According to the indictment, Colin Gray allowed Colt “access to a firearm and ammunition after receiving sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger the bodily safety of another” and caused “with criminal negligence” the death of the four victims.

During a hearing, GBI agents testified that Colt Gray wrote plans for the mass shooting in a notebook and used a rifle that his father had given him for Christmas.

Both Colt and Colin Gray remain in custody.