Gov. Brian Kemp named a new judge Thursday for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit Superior Court: longtime prosecutor Layla H. Zon.

Zon will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Samuel Ozburn.

"I am honored to appoint Layla to serve as a Superior Court Judge of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit," Kemp said. "As a judge, she will prioritize the business of the court and uphold justice, fairness, and decorum."

The Alcovy Circuit covers Newton and Walton counties to the east of Atlanta.

Zon has worked as a prosecutor throughout her 20-year legal career. She earned a B.S. in government from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1996 and a J.D. Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta in 2000, the announcement noted. She joined the Alcovy Circuit District Attorney's Office in July 2000. She started out prosecuting cases in Covington, the Newton County seat. In 2003, she was promoted to chief assistant district attorney. She became the DA's major felony prosecutor responsible for homicides, armed robberies, white collar crime and special prosecutions.

In August 2010, then-Gov. Sonny Perdue named Zon to succeed the district attorney—at the time, William Kendall Wynne Jr., who was appointed to the bench Zon now joins. Zon was the first woman to serve as DA there, and she now becomes the first woman in her new role.

Zon serves as a board member for A Child's Voice Child Advocacy Center and president of the District Attorney's Association of Georgia. She and her family live in Covington, where she is an active member of First Baptist Church, Kemp noted.

Zon launched a campaign for Superior Court last year when Judge Horace Johnson Jr. announced he would not run for reelection in 2020 but would instead seek Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham's open seat. But then Benham changed his plans in December, instead resigning early enough to allow the governor to appoint his replacement. During that brief window, though, Zon issued a written statement on her campaign website about her hopes of becoming a judge.

Following is an excerpt from her former campaign website:

"As a trial lawyer, I have prosecuted thousands of criminal cases through all stages of the process and have tried over 150 jury trials to verdict, including four death penalty cases. I am proud to say that I have never had one of my criminal convictions overturned by the appellate courts—which is a testament to my knowledge and understanding of the law and procedures in place to protect the rights of the accused. My extensive courtroom experience uniquely qualifies me to preside over criminal and civil proceedings and especially trials.

"In my career, I have had the opportunity to argue before both the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court on numerous occasions. I continually study the law and the decisions from these courts with respect to the interpretation of those laws, the procedure, and the rules of evidence.

"As a Superior Court Judge, I will apply the laws as they are written, by their plain language, and I will not attempt to override the will of the legislature in order to reach a certain result in the matter before me. If elected, I pledge to be impartial, to adhere to the oath of office with integrity, and to enhance and maintain confidence in our legal system by respecting and honoring the judicial office as an office of public trust."