Governor Nathan Deal’s three new appointments to the Georgia Court of Appeals are constitutional, a Fulton County judge ruled Thursday afternoon.
Superior Court Judge John Goger also held that a state law increasing the number of appeals court judges from 12 to 15 is also constitutional. Goger issued his ruling in response to a suit seeking an injunction that would have barred the three gubernatorial appointees to the newly created vacancies—Brian Rickman, Amanda Mercier and Nels Peterson—from being sworn in until the constitutionality of their appointments could be determined. Deal announced the appointments on Oct. 29.
