Season’s Greetings, Georgia Courts Journal readers,
The Judicial Council of Georgia held a General Session on Friday, December 12, which was livestreamed and archived. As the Council looks ahead, state budget hearings are already underway, and the 2026 legislative session will open on Monday, January 12. Thank you to Judicial Council members—Fulton County State Court Judge Susan Edlien, Douglas County Juvenile Court Chief Judge Michelle Harrison, Court of Appeals of Georgia Vice Chief Judge Elizabeth Gobeil, Superior Court for the West Georgia Judicial Circuit Judge Dusty Hightower, Supreme Court of Georgia Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren, Hall County Probate Court Chief Judge Patty Walters Laine, Court of Appeals of Georgia Chief Judge Trent Brown, Municipal Court for the City of Suwanee Chief Judge Norman Cuadra, Wilcox County Magistrate Court and Probate Court Chief Judge Shawn Rhodes, and Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Nels Peterson— who contributed to our Bill of Rights Day video, which was shared with social studies teachers statewide on Bill of Rights Day.
Congratulations to Justice Ben Land who will serve alongside Judge Stephen Kelley as the new co-Chair of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Technology. The Standing Committee on Court Interpreters and the AOC successfully conducted their first interactive, virtual two-day COCI Orientation Workshop on December 9-10. Sixteen spoken language interpreters participated and received a strong introduction to the field of legal interpreting. Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in sessions on interpreter ethics, court proceedings, and sight, consecutive, and simultaneous translation. Hands-on exercises provided opportunities to explore certification pathways, legal terminology, and ethical dilemmas unique to their language modalities. The program concluded with practical resources and tools designed to support ongoing professional growth and preparation for the certification process. Over five hundred professionals from varying disciplines and from all over the state convened on December 3-5, for the Georgia Child Welfare Summit. The Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children is a co-sponsor of the event and its Chair, Justice Charlie Bethel, gave inspirational opening remarks in which he spotlighted the extraordinary work of this year’s Hines Awards winners: DFCS Social Services Supervisor Quandula Wright from Worth County and attorney Ashley Stinson from Gwinnett County.
The Commission on Dispute Resolution met on December 10 for a meeting that marked the conclusion of Chief Judge Cindy Morris’s service as chair. The Commission also recognized and bid farewell to four outgoing members, Hon. Clarence Cuthpert Jr., N. Staten Bitting Jr., Nicole W. Hull, and Peggy McCoy Wilson, for their dedicated service. In recognition of her leadership and contributions, Chief Judge Morris was presented with a resolution from Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
We are proud to highlight the good work of the Georgia Council of Court Administrators (GCCA)—which advances excellence in court administration through ongoing professional education and meaningful community service—including its GCCA Cares project in support of the United Way of the Coastal Empire, in this feature article.
We thank Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher Ward for speaking at the Judicial Council of Georgia/AOC end-of-year All Staff Meeting, where he shared thoughtful remarks on his court’s approach to administering justice. Governor Brian P. Kemp announced several judicial appointments, naming Matthew B. Bennett to the Superior Court of the Alapaha Judicial Circuit, Donald L. Montgomery, Jr. to the State Court of Bryan County, and Torrey D. Smith and Judge Robert L. “Bobby” Wolf to the State Court of Fulton County, and congratulations are also extended to Judge Bob Pirkle, who was recently sworn in by Justice John Ellington to serve as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Hinesville. Kudos to Andrew Theus, Business Operations Manager for the Judicial Council/AOC, who was recently recognized for his volunteer work at the DeKalb County Regional Youth Detention Center, where he mentors youth about conflict management, court decorum, planning for the future, and more.
The National Center for State Courts has published its annual State of the State Courts: 2025 public opinion poll findings. The Good Judge-ment Podcast has two new episodes: Ep. 178, Attorney Fees Under 9-11-68 and Ep. 179, Judicial Qualifications Commission featuring Judge Brian Rickman of the Georgia Court of Appeals. The Georgia CMS project team concluded its Build phase and announced the initial release of the Georgia Courts Case Management System on December 29. Please explore project highlights as the team works to enhance the system throughout 2026. We leave you with this beautiful picture of the Butts County Courthouse brilliantly illuminated in honor of the holidays and the county’s bicentennial, which falls on Christmas Eve.
Call on us anytime. Talk to you in January
Your JC/AOC Courts Journal team: Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez, Bruce Shaw, and JoAnna Deering