Judge T. Buckley "Buck" Levins of the Superior Court for the Enotah Judicial Circuit. (Courtesy photo)

Gov. Brian Kemp named a new judge Wednesday to fill a vacancy on the Superior Court of the Enotah Judicial Circuit in the northeast Georgia mountains.

The new judge is T. Buckley "Buck" Levins. He's a prosecutor who is currently senior assistant district attorney for Haralson County in Buchanan, part of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit.

Previously, Levins was a senior assistant ADA for the Enotah Judicial Circuit from October 2012 to August 2019. He also has worked for DAs in the Alcovy and Atlanta judicial circuits. And he practiced privately for 14 months with a Savannah law firm, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Levins is a Warner Robins native and a double University of Georgia graduate. He earned a B.A. in political science, and a J.D. in 2005.

In 2019, he was named the Georgia Council of Accountability Court Judges' "Prosecutor of the Year."

Levins will fill the opening created by the resignation of Superior Court Circuit Chief Judge Stanley Gunter in September after seven years in the job.

The governor interviewed Levins as well as two other lawyers on a short list from the Judicial Nominating Commission. The other candidates were: Enotah Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court Jeremy D. Clough and Kerry B. Morris, Department of Family and Children Services special assistant attorney general and attorney in the Law Office of Todd L. Lord.

"I am humbled to be appointed," Levins said Wednesday. "I appreciate Governor Kemp's confidence in my ability to serve in this role."

Levins and his wife are residents of Blairsville in Union County, which is in the Enotah Circuit. The others are Towns, White and Lumpkin counties. The new judge said he looks forward to serving there.

He added, "I am committed to making sure the rule of law is upheld and that justice is done in each case that comes before the bench in our circuit."