Summertime greetings Georgia Courts Journal readers,
Whether you say semiquincentennial, sestercentennial, or America250, our nation commemorated its 250th anniversary on July 4th, and the Judicial Council/AOC joined in the celebration by showcasing the U.S. flag at courthouses across Georgia. Thank you to all the courts who contributed images for our social media series—your participation made the celebration truly special.
Best wishes to Presiding Judge Brian M. Rickman, who stepped down from the Court of Appeals of Georgia in July to return to private practice. Congratulations to Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, sworn in to serve on the Court of Appeals of Georgia on July 16th, and to federal Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps, recently appointed to the Court of Appeals of Georgia. The Georgia Tax Court began accepting cases on July 1st. To mark this milestone, we met with Chief Court Judge Frank O’Connell to discuss his vision for the Court and what litigants can expect as operations commence.
As usual, there was much news out of the State Bar of Georgia’s Annual Meeting, held June 11th-14th. Chief Justice Nels Peterson swore in William C. “Bill” Gentry as the new State Bar President; as such, Bill Gentry will serve ex officio for the coming year on the Judicial Council of Georgia. Congratulations to Justice John J. Ellington, recipient of the Tradition of Excellence Award from the General Practice & Trial Law Section, and to Senior Judge Willie E. Lockette, who received the Chief Justice Thomas O. Marshall Professionalism Award from the Bench & Bar Committee. The Judicial Section luncheon featured a fireside chat with Judges Kellie Hill and Brian Rickman, as well as the presentation of the Spirit of Justice Award to Stan Cooper, Director of Judicial Protective Services. On behalf of the Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children, Justice Charlie Bethel presented the 2026 Hines Awards for Outstanding Advocacy for Children in Dependency Proceedings to Whitfield County SAAG Andrew Powell and Rockdale County DFCS Social Services Specialist Keosha Pettigrew. The Judicial Council Standing Committee on Access to Justice, chaired by Justice Verda Colvin, hosted the annual Diversity of Bars meeting.
Congratulations to Judge Amanda N. Heath, who was installed as President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges at that Council’s 89th Annual Conference on July 21st, where Justice Charlie Bethel administered the oath of office. Congratulations also to Senior Judge Ronald E. Ginsberg, who was recently honored with the unveiling of his portrait at the State Court of Chatham County. Chatham County State Court Judges Greg Sapp and Libby Coolidge, along with Wayne County State Court Judge Vi Bennett, were present to celebrate Judge Ginsberg’s distinguished career—including his service as President of the Council of State Court Judges (2009–2010), as a member of the Judicial Council (2008–2010), and as a legislator in the Georgia House of Representatives (1980–1984), where he contributed to rewriting Georgia’s Code of Laws and Constitution.Thank you to DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge Shondeana Morris and Cobb County Superior Court Judge Sonja N. Brown, who will serve as Vice Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the State Bar of Georgia’s new Center for Lawyer Wellbeing. Kudos to Judges Wade Padgett and Tain Kell, who recently recorded their 200th episode of the Good Judge-ment Podcast, with recent episodes covering Georgia’s Equitable Caregiver Act and Electronic Discovery.
Hall County State Court Judge Kelley M. Robertson served as a main organizer for a special reading of the Declaration of Independence at Gainesville’s Roosevelt Square on July 1st, joined by judicial colleagues Judges Michelle Hall, Patty Walters Laine, and John W. Wingate. On June 5th, the Conasauga Judicial Circuit recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day and highlighted its innovative Conasauga Handgun Intervention Program (CHIP), a Juvenile Court-led initiative designed to reduce youth access to firearms and address behaviors that place young people at risk of gun-related incidents. Kudos to Chatham County’s new Homeless Court program, which recently celebrated its first two graduates, and to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Eric Dunaway, who contributed his time to a successful records restriction clinic on July 11th. The Council of Municipal Court Judges’ District 7 recently hosted a Meet, Greet, and Collaborate event in Mableton, bringing municipal court judges and professionals together for an afternoon of leadership, networking, and shared best practices. As we celebrate these meaningful initiatives, we also pause to honor Oconee Circuit Superior Court Judge Howard Cauldwell Kaufold, Jr., who passed away on July 19th.
The new Georgia Courts Case Management system has been named Gavel, and the project continues on pace. On June 16th, the Georgia Council of Court Administrators hosted a webinar featuring AOC Deputy Director Tracy Mason and Governmental Affairs Liaison Abigail Horvath, who provided court administrators and judicial professionals an overview on bills passed during the 2026 legislative session. To wrap up, enjoy these festive photos of AOC staff members donning jerseys for their favorite teams during the World Cup games held in Atlanta in June and July.
Call on us anytime. Talk to you in August.
Your JC/AOC Courts Journal team: Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez, Bruce Shaw, and JoAnna Deering