Georgia judge under investigation for 'berating' man who criticized his decision to release accused rapist in Facebook post

Mr Owens believed he was being detained when judge asked him to 'sit down'

A judge in Athens, Georgia is facing an ethics investigation after calling a local man who criticised him on Facebook into his office and berating him.

Superior Court Judge Eric Norris became the centre of an ethics probe when it was revealed that the judge arranged a meeting with a local bail bonds operator, Nathan Owens, last July, only to use the occasion to berate him.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the judge was under investigation by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission, which recently filed its findings on the matter to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Mr Norris used the opportunity to "chastise and berate" Mr Owens over a Facebook post in which Mr Owens criticises the judge for allowing a rape suspect to leave jail without bond.

During the confrontation, Mr Owens told the judge that he wanted an attorney, but the judge told him to "sit down," which Mr Owens came to believe meant that he was being detained.

The 5 July Facebook post at the heart of the confrontation deals with the rape trial of a man named Alex Michael Mosby.

The 29 year-old was indicted on rape, kidnapping and two counts of aggravated sodomy with force charges for his alleged role in an attack on a University of Georgia student.

Mr Mosby's trial ended in a mistrial and he was released from custody on his own recognizance by Mr Norris. Mr Mosby agreed to return for his next court trial, but never showed up, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Mr Owens - who works in the bail bonds industry and whose business is tied to the courts - then took to Facebook to criticise Mr Norris for allowing Mr Mosby to leave custody without placing a substantive bond on him first.

After giving a lengthy retelling of Mr Mosby's alleged crimes, Mr Owens offered his opinion on the release.

"In my opinion, Alex Michael Mosby is the last man who should have been released unsecured on a 'pinky promise' to appear at trial considering his history, likeliness to offend, danger to the community and repeat pattern of missing court. Each time Mosby has been arrested in Athens, he has missed court," Mr Owens wrote.

He went on to call the ruling the "destruction of criminal accountability" that has "hit a new low in Athens-Clarke County."

Mr Norris scheduled the meeting with Mr Owens a week after the Facebook post was made.