The Georgia Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial in a Columbia County child molestation case after finding that the trial judge’s comments may have improperly influenced the jury.

During the trial of Faron Alday, who faced two counts of child molestation involving his granddaughter, the judge questioned a forensic interviewer in a way that appeared to support the State’s credibility. The Court ruled this violated O.C.G.A. § 17-8-57, which restricts judges from expressing opinions that may sway jurors.