The Judicial Nominating Commission has submitted recommendations to fill vacancies within the Superior Courts of the Atlanta, Blue Ridge, Coweta, Lookout Mountain, Mountain, and South Georgia Judicial Circuits.  The vacancies in the Atlanta and Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuits were created by the resignations of the Honorable Christopher S. Brasher and the Honorable Ralph Van Pelt, Jr., respectively.  The vacancy in the Coweta Judicial Circuit was created by the appointment of the Honorable William (Bill) Grady Hamrick, III to the Georgia State-wide Business Court.  The vacancies in the Blue Ridge and Mountain Judicial Circuits were created by legislation passed during the 2022 session of the Georgia General Assembly; and the two vacancies in the South Georgia Judicial Circuit were created by the resignation of the Honorable J. Kevin Chason and legislation passed during the 2022 legislative session.

Governor Kemp will fill the vacancies from among the lists.  The Governor’s Office will contact candidates to schedule interviews.

The following names were submitted to Governor Kemp:

Atlanta Judicial Circuit

  • Cassandra Kirk – Chief Magistrate Judge, Fulton County
  • Scott F. McAfee – Inspector General, Office of State Inspector General
  • K. Eric Morrow – owner/attorney/mediator, Morrow Law, LLC
  • Christopher T. Portis – Chief Judge, Municipal Court of Atlanta

 

Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit

  • A. Dee Morris – Judge, Cherokee County State Court
  • Shannon Wallace – District Attorney, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit

 

Coweta Judicial Circuit

  • C. Jephson Bendinger – Chief Assistant District Attorney, Coweta Judicial Circuit
  • Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow – equity partner, Strickland Debrow LLP
  • Sandra Heath Taylor – Solicitor General, Troup County
  • Erica L. Tisinger – Judge, State Court of Carroll County

 

Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit

  • Chris A. Arnt – District Attorney, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit
  • Anne Willard Fiddler – associate attorney, Law Office of Joseph E. Willard, Jr.
  • Clayton M. Fuller – Senior Assistant District Attorney, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit

 

Mountain Judicial Circuit

  • B. Nichole Carswell – Juvenile Court Judge, Mountain Judicial Circuit
  • William R. Oliver – attorney, Oliver and Weidner LLC; part-time Solicitor General, Habersham County

 

South Georgia Judicial Circuit

  • M. Claire Chason – solo practitioner, Chason Law Firm LLC
  • Lawton C. Heard, Jr. – solo practitioner/partner, Heard Law Group, LLC
  • Barbara Mulholland – partner, Hall Booth Smith, PC