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‘Wife-Beating’ Judge Refuses To Stand Down

By totalfamilylife.com
Family & Parenting mark fuller
SEP 28, 2014 LISTEN
mark fuller

A judge who was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife has ignored growing calls to resign.

Mark Fuller, a district court judge in Alabama, allegedly struck his wife repeatedly at a luxury hotel in August.

With the assault by NFL player Ray Rice on his wife continuing to make headlines in the US, calls have been growing for Fuller to step down.

The former Baltimore Ravens running back has been banned after a video went public showing him punching then-fiancee Janay Palmer in the face.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell said: “If an NFL player can lose his job because of domestic violence, then a federal judge should definitely not be allowed to keep his lifetime appointment to the federal bench.”

Her comments were echoed by Senator Richard Selby, who warned Fuller had “lost the conference of his colleagues and the people of the state of Alabama”. Calls for Fuller to quit have referred to the scandal surrounding Ray Rice

The scandal began when the judge's wife, Kelli, called police from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta to say she had been assaulted.

Officers later reported that Mrs Fuller had “visible lacerations to her mouth and forehead”, which followed an argument where she accused her husband of having an affair.

Their assessment added: “Mrs Fuller stated when she confronted him about their issues, he pulled her hair, threw her to the ground and kicked her.

“Mrs Fuller also stated she was dragged around the room, and Mr Fuller hit her in the mouth several times with his hands.”

The judge denied this, and claimed he was acting in self-defence after she threw a glass at him.

Fuller, who has since entered counselling, tried to defuse the situation by releasing a statement, which read: “This incident has been very embarrassing to me, my family, friends and the court.

“I deeply regret this incident and look forward to working to resolve these difficulties with my family, where they should be resolved.”

According to his lawyer, Barry Ragsdale, Fuller is being investigated by a Court of Appeal, which has the power to reprimand him and demand his resignation.

But Mr Ragsdale insisted the incident “had been distorted, sensationalised and misrepresented to fit the political and personal agendas of those seeking to oust Judge Fuller”.

Former US president George W Bush was responsible for appointing Fuller to the bench.

source:http://news.sky.com

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