Sixteen Georgia Court of Appeals hopefuls will be interviewed by Governor Nathan Deal’s Judicial Nominating Commission on Dec. 12.

A JNC subcommittee of co-chairman Randy Evans, DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James and Augusta District Attorney Ashley Wright on Friday pared the list of 33 candidates to 16. The JNC originally received 75 nominations for the seat that will be vacated in January by Judge A. Harris Adams, but 42 withdrew from consideration or did not submit applications to the JNC by its Nov. 19 deadline.