ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating a pill found in the bottom of a judge's glass at Magistrate Court in Rockdale County.
On May 11, Chief Judge Phinia Aten was on the bench and had just finished a string of cases when she found a pill at the bottom of her water glass.
A sheriff's report says the judge was pouring bottled water into her personal glass when it began to turn cloudy. A deputy got the pill out before it dissolved, and it has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
"She did express to me that she's still disturbed and concerned. She's very concerned because being a lawyer and now a judge, she never thought that something like this would happen and could happen," Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett said.
The GBI said it has completed the investigation into the pill and determined what the substance is, but they are not releasing that information. They are now working to figure out who put the pill in the glass.
"We're doing interviews of people who were in the courtroom that day, we're reviewing videos and we also, our crime lab, has analyzed the pill," said GBI spokeswoman Sherry Lang.
Officials said the court clerk, three deputies, and up to four inmates were in the courtroom at the time. The GBI said all have been interviewed.
"Our deputies would not allow an inmate to get that close to the bench," Levett said. "I would hope and believe than none of my deputies were involved. In fact, I can tell you at least two or three were not even close."
A report shows the judge finished a glass of water, had a restroom break, and then poured more water into the glass, and that's when she and deputies noticed the pill. Aten did not drink any of it, but we're told she's very disturbed over this.
A call to her office was not returned.
"Being a judge, she is unable to comment on this. Especially with her being a victim at this point and being in the position that she's in. She can't make any comments. And she in fact told me that she was not willing to make any comments on this case at this time," Levett said.