A federal judge in Georgia was reportedly reprimanded following an investigation into allegations that she engaged in a romantic relationship with a police official and participated in inappropriate conduct inside courthouse chambers.
According to Bloomberg Law, the allegations involve U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia and Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Kelley Collier. The outlet cited a person familiar with the matter who said Ross was privately reprimanded following an internal judicial investigation.
Atlanta television station WSB-TV, citing multiple sources familiar with the case, also reported that Ross was the subject of a judicial misconduct report issued by Chief Judge William Pryor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The allegations stem from a judicial complaint filed in September. A special committee later conducted an investigation and submitted a final report in December.
According to reports, the committee found that Ross and the police official engaged in a relationship that included sexual encounters inside courthouse chambers during business hours over a period of approximately two years. The report indicated that some incidents allegedly occurred within earshot of law clerks working nearby.
The committee concluded that the conduct demonstrated a “gross lack of judgment” and created what it described as an uncomfortable and troubling work environment for court staff.
Despite those findings, the report also stated that Ross had shown a willingness to accept responsibility and demonstrated what investigators described as a strong capacity for rehabilitation and continued service on the federal bench.
As part of the resolution, Ross reportedly agreed to write apology letters to former law clerks who participated in the investigation. She also pledged not to seek positions such as chief judge or appointments to Judicial Conference committees during the remainder of her judicial career.
The report did not publicly identify the police official involved. However, Bloomberg Law noted that the report described the individual as a police commander who joined the department in 1998. That description matches Collier, who currently serves as commander of the Atlanta Police Department’s Community Services Division, according to the department’s website.
Bloomberg Law has identified Eleanor Ross as the federal judge privately reprimanded after investigators found she repeatedly had sex with a police officer in chambers during business hours. The report said the affair raised conflict concerns and disrupted the courthouse… pic.twitter.com/SxT871vBcK
Should Judge Eleanor Ross continue her judicial service after the reprimand for misconduct?— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 28, 2026
Bloomberg Law has identified Eleanor Ross as the federal judge privately reprimanded after investigators found she repeatedly had sex with a police officer in chambers during business hours. The report said the affair raised conflict concerns and disrupted the courthouse… The Atlanta Police Department announced that it had launched its own inquiry into the matter.
“The Atlanta Police Department has launched an investigation to determine if the person mentioned in the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States is indeed an employee of the Atlanta Police Department,” the agency said in a statement.
The department also told Bloomberg Law that federal court documents had not publicly identified the officer involved and that it had contacted the court seeking clarification.
The allegations have drawn criticism from legal ethics advocates. Aliza Shatzman, founder of the Legal Accountability Project, said the reported conduct raises concerns about public trust in the judiciary.
Ross previously gained national attention for presiding over the criminal fraud and tax evasion case involving reality television personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley. In 2022, Ross sentenced the couple to prison terms after their convictions. President Donald Trump later issued pardons to the Chrisleys in 2025.
Following reports of the investigation, Todd Chrisley criticized Ross on social media and called for her impeachment, arguing that the allegations call into question her conduct while presiding over his case.
Ross was appointed to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2014. According to the Federal Judicial Center, she is a graduate of American University and the University of Houston Law Center. She is also married to DeKalb County State Court Judge Brian Ross.
