Deal chose Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge William Billy Ray Jr. and Smith, Gambrell & Russell partner Elizabeth Lisa Branch for the appeals court openings. Ray will replace Keith Blackwell, whom Deal recently elevated to the Georgia Supreme Court. Branch will fill the opening created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Charles Mikell, who plans to leave the court at the end of next month.
Deals selections were announced in an unusually short amount of time after his Judicial Nominating Commission finished its work vetting candidates for the openings. While Ray and Branch were on a shortlist for the Supreme Court opening filled by Blackwell, the JNC on Tuesday added two additional candidates to the shortlist, according to a release on the JNCs website.
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