Gov. Brian Kemp's Judicial Nominating Commission is reviewing applications of 29 nominees to fill the seat of Georgia Supreme Court Justice Keith Blackwell, whose plan to leave the bench in November has prompted the JNC's search process—and litigation in Fulton County Superior Court.

On Monday Judge Emily Richardson rejected arguments by two lawyers, John Barrow and Beth Beskin, who wished to run for Blackwell's seat in the May 19 election. Richardson held that Barrow and Beskin failed to show they had "a clear right" to compel Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to conduct an election "when there is a legal vacancy in a position that will be filled by gubernatorial appointment prior to the beginning of the term for which the election would be held."

The judge determined that a vacancy existed for Blackwell's seat the day Kemp accepted Blackwell's Feb. 26 letter of resignation, even though Blackwell plans to remain on the job till November. Appeals are likely, but in the meantime, Kemp's JNC is working to recommend a short list to the governor for Blackwell's seat.

The list includes 20 nominees who applied for a separate opening on the high court, that of recently retired Justice Robert Benham, and nine newcomers. The nominees for the previous spot did not have to complete an application again, according to the JNC.

The nominees for Blackwell's seat are:

  • Tonya C. Boga of Marietta, who belongs to the state bar's child protection & advocacy section;
  • Pamela S. Braswell of Marietta, who is in the state bar's entertainment and sports law sections;
  • Veronica Brinson of Macon, who is in the state bar's appellate practice, family law and insurance law sections;
  • Joshua J. Campbell, a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington;
  • Judge Verda M. Colvin of Bibb County Superior Court;
  • Samuel R. D'Entremont of the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office;
  • Presiding Judge Sara L. Doyle of the Court of Appeals of Georgia;
  • C. Wilson DuBose, a former Atlanta Bar Association president;
  • Leonid Felgin of Jonesboro's Fincher Denmark, who is in the eminent domain and local government sections;
  • Loranzo Muncel Fleming of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals in Atlanta;
  • T. Mills Fleming, who heads HunterMaclean's health law practice in Savannah;
  • Judge Robert W. Guy of Camden County Superior Court;
  • Latoya A. Hutchinson of Greensboro, who is in the criminal law and family law sections;
  • Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. of Alcovy Circuit Superior Court;
  • Judge C. LaTain Kell of Cobb County Superior Court;
  • Catherine Koura of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete in Atlanta;
  • Judge Shawn LaGrua of Fulton County Superior Court;
  • Jacquelyn F. Luther of Atlanta, who is in the appellate practice and family law sections;
  • Marc Mallon, Fulton County senior assistant district attorney;
  • Judge Carla Wong McMillian of the Court of Appeals of Georgia;
  • Francis J. Moran II of the Lumpkin County District Attorney's Office;
  • Judge Harold R. Moroz of Saint Marys;
  • Judge J. Wade Padgett of the Augusta Circuit Superior Court;
  • Jacqueline L. Payne of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society;
  • Naveen Ramachandrappa of Atlanta's Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore, who is in the appellate practice and other sections;
  • Joann B. Sharp, an appellate lawyer at Alpharetta's Meriwether & Tharp;
  • Howard P. Slomka of Atlanta's Busch Slipakoff Mills & Slomka, who is in the bar's bankruptcy law section;
  • Michael D. Thorpe of Alpharetta's Cuzdey Ehrmann Stine & Sansalone, who is in the bar's workers' compensation section;
  • Teri B. Walker of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Decatur.

The short list for Benham's seat includes Colvin, Doyle, LaGrua and McMillian.

Vince Russo, one of the JNC's co-chairs, was subpoenaed for a hearing last week in the dispute over whether Blackwell's seat should be filled by election or Kemp's appointment.