BLAIRSVILLE, Ga., Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A Georgia prosecutor said he thought a judge showed poor judgment when he pulled a gun in his courtroom while scolding a recalcitrant witness.
Lumpkin County District Attorney Jeff Langley said he thought the exasperated judge made "a poor rhetorical point" when he produced a handgun and told the witness she might as well shoot her own lawyer because she was scuttling the case with her alleged evasiveness.
"It was totally inappropriate conduct for a courtroom," Langley said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Sunday incident occurred last week in Blairsville during the trial of a man accused of rape and aggravated assault. The witness had been called Wednesday to testify about the alleged abuse but soon became uncooperative.
Superior Court Judge David Barrett then pulled out his own gun and held it out to the witness, Langley said. He quickly put the weapon away at Langley's request and the trial continued.
The Journal-Constitution said judges are allowed to carry concealed weapons in Georgia, but the law doesn't allow them to point a gun at another person without justification. No charges have been filed against Barrett.
