Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan Murphy, Cobb County, Georgia. (Courtesy photo)

Former Cobb County Assistant District Attorney Brendan Murphy is scheduled to be sworn in as chief judge of Magistrate Court at 3 p.m. Thursday, succeeding now-District Attorney Joyette Holmes.

But the court of first resort is a busy place—operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day as the initial stop for all criminal cases, plus many small civil claims. Those shoes needed to be filled. So Cobb County Superior Court Chief Judge Reuben Green went ahead and gave Murphy the oath Monday morning, and the new chief magistrate went to work.

Murphy said in an interview Monday that the court's staff received him warmly.

“They welcomed me with open arms,” he said. His first official act, Murphy said, was to reappoint the two full-time judges already serving under Holmes, who left when Gov. Brian Kemp appointed her to succeed Vic Reynolds as DA after naming Reynolds to head the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Judges Kellie Hill and Gerald Moore then immediately went back to work on the bench, Murphy said.

He also reappointed the 14 part-time judges. He has one opening there to fill. And he said he plans to keep the same leadership in the administration of the court, which has 73 employees and a $4.3 million budget.

“I'm here to learn from everybody,” Murphy said. “I'm here to build on the legacy that Judge Holmes has created.”

Murphy's former prosecutor colleague, Holmes took over as chief magistrate during a difficult time. The Cobb Superior Court in 2015 appointed Holmes to the position after the resignation of longtime chief magistrate Frank Cox, who had been the subject of complaints to the Judicial Qualifications Commission from litigants and lawyers alleging abusive treatment from him.

“Mr. Murphy has the well-rounded legal and managerial experience to serve as our next chief magistrate judge,” Green said in naming Murphy to the job last week. “But more importantly, he has the right temperament.”

Murphy has served as the chief assistant DA assigned to Green's courtroom for the past three years.

“I have seen a man of character and integrity, a person who is patient, listens well, and treats everyone with respect,” Green said.

Murphy ran unsuccessfully for Cobb County State Court in 2015, seeking to succeed Judge Kathryn Tanksley when she retired. “Doing what's right is the reason I became a lawyer,” Murphy said in announcing his state court run. “That's what I work toward every day.”

Murphy started his career in private practice, handling civil cases with the Marietta-based firm then known as Brock, Clay, Calhoun & Rogers. He worked in the education law group counseling metro Atlanta school districts, including Cobb County and the city of Marietta.

When he became a prosecutor, he started with traffic court in the solicitor general's office and moved up to violent felonies with the DA. He has a law degree and a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia.

The investiture will still go on Thursday in the ceremonial courtroom at the Superior Court building. Murphy posted the invitation on Facebook with a message saying he is “honored and thankful” for the appointment.

“I'm grateful for the warm welcome I received from the folks at Magistrate Court,” Murphy said in the post. “Judge Holmes truly built an incredible team, and I can't wait to hit the ground running to ensure the 'Peoples' Court' continues to be a place where all are served efficiently and fairly and treated with courtesy, dignity, and respect. Please join us on Thursday!”

But the work has already begun.