Georgia judge 'banishes' Elf on the Shelf, freeing parents from 'tyranny' - USA TODAY

Want to put that annual holiday tradition, The Elf on the Shelf, literally on the shelf - as in, out of commission? One judge has your back.

Robert Leonard, a chief judge in Georgia for Cobb County Superior Court, recently posted a mock order banishing The Elf on the Shelf in his county, which includes part of the Atlanta metro area.

If parents are so inclined, his order could set a precedent for homes where the elf has perhaps wreaked holiday havoc in recent years.

The Elf on the Shelf phenomenon began in 2005 when Chanda Bell and her mother Carol Aebersold, released "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition," a book that comes with a scout elf doll. The book - and subsequent company, The Lumistella Co. - was created by twin sisters Bell and Christa Pitts and their mother - is based on the family's tradition of putting an elf around their house during the holidays.

The elves, as the story goes, show up in homes around Thanksgiving and monitor happenings until Christmas Eve. When kids go to sleep, the elves buzz back to the North Pole and report on who has been naughty or nice and then return, by morning, to a new spot in the home. 

Spoiler alert: Of course, parents are in charge of moving the elf around and should they forget - kids can have a cow. And with more than 19 million scout elves and other toys sold, many homes are afflicted.

One of them is apparently that of Judge Leonard's. He recalls in the order "a horrific incident in his own home where three children were sent to school in tears, with one child being labeled an 'Elf Murderer' and accused of making the elf 'lose his magic.'"

That school day was undoubtedly "lost to everyone," he wrote. Thus, "given the risk posed to our most vulnerable children outlined above, coupled with COVID and supply chain issues, the Court has no choice but to BANISH all Elves on Shelves from Cobb County."

Four years ago, an elf was taken to an emergency room in Orlando, Florida, after the family dog got ahold of him. Luckily, mom was an ER nurse and reattached the elf's arm.

Backlash against The Elf on the Shelf is not new. Then-USA TODAY columnist Craig Wilson wrote about the tradition driving "some parents crazy" in 2012. 

However, since its arrival, The Elf on the Shelf has made appearances on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books List. 

As the word about the judge's order got around, a few welcomed the news. "I don't wanna do it anymore," said Twitter user Adam O'Leary.

And some wondered if other judges across the U.S. might concur with the Georgia judge. "I'm sure a lot of local families would love it if a Washington judge would 'ban' the elves as well," tweeted Derek Deis, a news anchor with Spokane, Washington, ABC TV station KXLY. 

So, the choice is yours. You can use the judge's order to exorcise the elf this season. Because if you are "not looking forward to the Elf forgetting to move and causing your kids emotional distress," Judge Leonard said on Twitter, "I am a public servant and will take the heat for you."

However, if you want to embrace the Elf, here's some tips on reintroducing him this holiday season. And the judge understands. "If you love your elf, keep your elf. No contempts," he said.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.