L-R:Kevin Morris, Scott McAfee, Shannon Wallace, Sonya J. George, and Jaleta Long. .Courtesy photos Kevin Morris (from left), Scott McAfee, Shannon Wallace, Sonya J. George and Jaletta Long Smith. (Courtesy photos)
With less than two weeks left in 2022, Gov. Brian Kemp has filled seven of 11 judicial vacancies on Georgia benches throughout the state, including a closely watched Fulton County Superior Court opening. New judges have been added to superior court benches in the Alcovy, Atlanta, Blue Ridge, Coweta and Mountain judicial circuits. The governor also has appointed two women to fill state court vacancies in Clayton and Gwinnett counties. Here's a breakdown of the governor's picks for judge.   |

Superior Court Vacancies

One week after appointing Habersham County Solicitor General Bill Oliver to the Mountain Judicial Circuit and Carroll County State Court Judge Erica Tisinger to the Coweta Judicial Circuit, Kemp has selected five more jurists to fill judicial vacancies. At the superior court level, the governor appointed Inspector General Scott F. McAfee to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, Walton County Magistrate Court Judge G. Kevin Morris to the Alcovy Judicial Circuit and District Attorney Shannon Wallace to the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. Atlanta Judicial Circuit

L-R: Christopher Portis, K. Eric Morrow, Scott McAfee and Cassandra Kirk. Courtesy photos. L-R: Christopher Portis, K. Eric Morrow, Scott McAfee and Cassandra Kirk. (Courtesy photos).
McAfee's appointment comes about two weeks after Chief Judge Christopher S. Brasher retired from the Fulton County Superior Court on Dec. 1. McAfee had been considered for the role alongside Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk, Atlanta attorney K. Eric Morrow and Municipal Court of Atlanta Chief Judge Christopher T. Portis when the Judicial Nominations Commission of Georgia released its shortlist of candidates in November. Alcovy Judicial Circuit
L-R: G. Kevin Morris, W. Cliff Howard, Chief Assistant District Attorney of Walton County District Attorney’s Office and R. Michael Malcom partner with Preston & Malcom. Courtesy photos L-R: G. Kevin Morris, W. Cliff Howard, Chief Assistant District Attorney of Walton County District Attorney's Office and R. Michael Malcom partner with Preston & Malcom. (Courtesy photos)
Morris has been appointed to fill a vacancy in the Superior Court of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit created by the resignation of the Judge John M. Ott following his 32 years on the bench. At the age of 68, Ott announced in October he'd be stepping down from the bench on Dec. 31. The JNC shortlisted Morris, Chief Assistant District Attorney W. Cliff Howard of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit's Walton County District Attorney's Office and Preston & Malcom partner R. Michael Malcom as candidates to fill the judgeship that serves Newton and Walton counties. Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit
District Attorney Shannon Wallace, left, of Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, and Judge A. Dee Morris,right, of Cherokee County State Court. Courtesy photos District Attorney Shannon Wallace (left) of Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, and Judge A. Dee Morris of Cherokee County State Court. (Courtesy photos)
Wallace's appointment to the bench follows legislation passed during the 2022 session of the Georgia General Assembly that created a new judgeship in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit that encompasses Cherokee County. The Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney had been in the running for the position alongside Cherokee County State Court Judge A. Dee Morris. |

Meet the Newest Superior and State Court Appointees

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State Court Vacancies

At the state court level, Kemp appointed Clayton Magistrate Court Presiding Judge Sonyja J. George to the Clayton County State Court and Andersen, Tate & Carr associate attorney Jaletta Long Smith to the Gwinnett County State Court. Clayton County State Court

(l-r) Presiding Judge Sonyja J. George, of Clayton County Magistrate Court, Clayton Probate Court Associate Judge Atha H. Pryor, and Associate Judge Tameka A. West, of Clayton County Magistrate Court. Courtesy photos (l-r) Presiding Judge Sonyja J. George of Clayton County Magistrate Court, Clayton Probate Court Associate Judge Atha H. Pryor and Associate Judge Tameka A. West of Clayton County Magistrate Court. (Courtesy photos)
Kemp's appointment of George means she'll soon trade her title of Clayton County Magistrate Court presiding judge for that of State Court Judge in the coming weeks. George will fill a vacancy created by Chief Judge Linda S. Cowen. After submitting her letter of resignation to the governor on July 1, Cowen will hang up her black robe on Dec. 31 after 26 years on the Clayton County State Court bench. George had been considered for the role alongside Clayton Probate Court Associate Judge Atha H. Pryor and Clayton Magistrate Court Associate Judge Tameka A. West when the JNC released its shortlist of candidates in November. Gwinnett County State Court
(l-r) Judge Katie Armstrong, Gwinnett County Recorder's Court, Chief Judge Norman Cuadra, City of Suwanee, and Jaletta Long Smith. Courtesy photos
When Smith dons her black robe for the first time, it'll be to fill a new Gwinnett County State Court judgeship created by legislation passed during the 2022 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Smith had been in the running for the new role alongside Gwinnett County Recorder's Court Chief Judge Kathrine M. Armstrong and City of Suwanee Chief Municipal Court Judge Norman H. Cuadra.   |

Remaining Vacancies

As of Dec. 19, four judicial vacancies remained unfilled. The governor has yet to announce appointments to a Clarke County State Court opening in the Western Judicial Circuit, a superior court judgeship in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit and two seats on the superior court bench in the Southern Judicial Circuit.