49 New Judges: Dozens Rise to Georgia Benches
As 49 new probate judges prepare to take the bench across the state in January, the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia is opening up about the training it's offering to ensure its newcomers don't end up on the Judicial Qualification Commission of Georgia's list of ethics violaters.
November 13, 2024 at 05:34 PM
7 minute read
What You Need to Know
- At least 49 probate courts will welcome new judges in January 2025.
- New jurists will attend orientation in November and December.
- Judges also required to participate in mentorship program.
The adage "out with the old, in with the new" will become a reality in 2025 when roughly 30% of Georgia's probate courts swear in new judges in January.
With at least 49 jurists now counting down the days until they'll don their black robes, the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia is opening up about the training it's offering to ensure its newcomers don't end up on the Judicial Qualification Commission of Georgia's list of ethics violaters.
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Meet the New Probate Judges
According to the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, the following appointed and elected individuals will be take office as probate judges in January 2025:
- Judge Gretchen Bailey – Appling County
- Judge Cameron Boswell – Banks County (b)
- Judge Amy Whitlock – Barrow County
- Judge Blake Scoggins – Bartow County (b)
- Judge Jonathan McMillan – Brantley County (b)
- Judge Joni Goodwin – Chattahoochee County (b)
- Judge Mia Wallace – Clay County (b)
- Associate Judge Atha Pryor – Clayton County
- Associate Judge Kristin Poland – Cobb County
- Associate Judge Caroline Freeman – DeKalb County
- Judge Valerie Vie – Douglas County
- Judge Will Caudill – Early County
- Judge David Zittrauer – Effingham County
- Judge Chase Sherrod – Emanuel County
- Judge Angela Landgaard – Fayette County
- Associate Judge Marian Parker – Fulton County
- Judge Kelly Lanier – Glynn County
- Associate Judge Crissy Davis – Gordon County (b)
- Judge Russell Wall – Greene County (b)
- Associate Judge Elizabeth Strupe – Gwinnett County
- Associate Judge Mark Loggins – Hall County
- Judge Kristy Harris – Houston County
- Judge Jennifer Morris – Johnson County (b)
- Judge Lewis Patterson – Jones County (b)
- Judge Victoria Jewell – Lanier County (b)
- Judge Leighton Taylor – Lincoln County (b)
- Judge Burke Sherwood – Lowndes County
- Associate Judge April Cross – Macon County (b)
- Associate Judge Shannon Neely – Meriwether County (b)
- Associate Judge Elexus Sisson – Miller County (b)
- Judge Serless West-Robinson – Mitchell County
- Judge Stacie Randolph – Montgomery County (b)
- Judge Robert Brooks – Polk County (b)
- Associate Judge Shayne Green – Polk County (b)
- Associate Judge Savannah Dixon – Rabun County (b)
- Judge Stacy Johnson – Richmond County
- Judge Kevin Devane – Schley County (b)
- Judge Kay Perdue – Spalding County
- Judge Christopher Stephens – Stephens County
- Judge Shatara Powell – Talbot County (b)
- Judge Geraldine Fulton – Taliaferro County (b)
- Judge Jennifer Williams – Taylor County (b)
- Associate Judge Cindy Thomas – Terrell County (b)
- Judge Josh Smith – Thomas County
- Judge Kristin Stanley – Union County (b)
- Judge Janet Thrift – Ware County
- Judge Hope Cunningham – Wayne County
- Associate Judge Kerri Crane – White County (b)
- Judge Amanda Holder – Wilkinson County (b)
Required Training
Some but not all of the new probate judges are licensed to practice law in Georgia.
A law license is not required for probate judges serving counties with population sizes less than 96,000, per Title 15, Chapter 9, Article 6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
But licesned or not, each of the new probate judges must attend a new-judge orientation in December prior to taking the bench, according to Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia Executive Director Kevin Holder.
Holder noted that at least 26 of the incoming jurists will also preside over traffic court matters that require their participation in a separate new judge orientation this month.
During the November traffic training, attendees will learn about a variety of topics including "how to handle self-represented litigants and sovereign citizens in the courtroom, GCIC dispositions, ethics and professionalism, legal resources for traffic judges, traffic court basics, probation and sentencing, introduction to the Department of Natural Resources, arraignments and plea deals."
Meanwhile, the December training will cover an equally long list of topics. In addition to detailing "ethics, legal research and writing, mental health/orders to apprehend (OTAs), estates, marriages, vital records [and] ceremonial duties," Holder said the training would educate participants on "weapons carry licenses, minor guardianships, minor conservatorships/compromised claims, adult guardianships and conservatorships and courtroom etiquette and managing attorneys."
Following the training sessions, probate judges are required to complete a mentorship program in which each new judge is assigned a more experienced judge to convey with.
As part of the mentorship program, the paired jurists are required to visit a neutral court, explore court resources and complete a corresponding checklist within 12 months of taking office.
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