Georgia Notary Loses Commission After Signing Deceased Woman’s Deed Linked to Judge’s Will

Notary Jacquelyn Walker was stripped of her Georgia commission after notarizing a warranty deed for a woman who had died weeks earlier, a case tied to a contested will involving Judge Rhathelia Stroud.

An investigation uncovered that Jacquelyn Walker notarized a warranty deed for a woman who had died of cancer three weeks before the document was recorded, prompting the Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts to revoke her notary commission and order the destruction of her seal. The deed, filed in November 2023, transferred ownership of a timeshare resort and is connected to a broader dispute over a will filed by DeKalb County Judge Rhathelia Stroud, which alleges forgery of her brother's signature.

Walker, a longtime acquaintance of the judge, also notarized the contested will, which the judge's children claim does not match their father's handwriting. Superior Court clerk Ché Alexander stressed that a criminal investigation is required before any civil action and that the deed could be nullified if fraud is confirmed. The judge's niece supplied the death certificate and later filed a police report to support the challenge. Walker has not responded to media inquiries and plans to appeal the revocation.