Judicial Nominating Commission Recommends Applicants to Fill Judicial Vacancies

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue’s Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) has submitted recommendations to fill the vacancies in the Superior Court of the Cordele Judicial Circuit, the Superior Court of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, the Superior Court of the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit, the Superior Court of the Macon Judicial Circuit, and the State Court of Athens-Clarke County.  The Cordele, Enotah, and Gwinnett Judicial Circuit vacancies were created with the passage of House Bill 118, and the Athens-Clarke State Court vacancy was created with the passage of House Bill 215 during the 2007 legislative session.  The vacancy in the Superior Court of the Macon Judicial Circuit was created with the resignation of the Honorable Bryant Culpepper.

The JNC submitted the following recommendations to fill the vacancy within the Superior Court of the Cordele Judicial Circuit:

• Terry C. Hughes – Juvenile Court Judge; Cordele Judicial Circuit
• T. Harry Hurt – Private practice; The Law Offices of Hurt & Associates; Cordele

The JNC submitted the following recommendations to fill the vacancy within the Superior Court of the Enotah Judicial Circuit:

• Steven K. Leibel – Private practice; Steven Liebel, P.C.; Dahlonega
• Murphy C. Miller – Circuit Public Defender; Enotah Judicial Circuit
• Joy R. Parks – Magistrate Judge; White County

The JNC submitted the following recommendations to fill the vacancy within the Superior Court of the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit:

• Emily J. Brantley – Private practice; The Law Office of Emily J. Brantley, P.C.; Lawrenceville
• Warren P. Davis – Magistrate Judge; Gwinnett County
• George F. Hutchinson, III – Magistrate Judge; Gwinnett County
• Albert L. Norton, Jr. – Private practice; Norton & Associates, P.C.; Alpharetta
• Kathryn M. Schrader – Private practice; Kathryn M. Schrader, P.C.; Duluth

The JNC submitted the following recommendations to fill the vacancy within the Superior Court of the Macon Judicial Circuit:

• Edgar W. Ennis, Jr. – Private practice; Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC; Macon
• Charles E. Jones – Private practice; Jones and Oliver, P.C.; Fort Valley
• Philip T. Raymond, III – Private practice; Shaffer, Raymond & Dalton; Macon
• Graham A. Thorpe – Chief Assistant District Attorney; Macon Judicial Circuit
• Pamela Y. White-Colbert – Assistant District Attorney; Macon Judicial Circuit

The JNC submitted the following recommendations to fill the vacancy within the State Court of Athens-Clarke County:

• Patricia Barron – Chief Magistrate Judge; Athens-Clarke County
• Edward H. Brumby – Public Defender; Western Judicial Circuit
• Phillip Comer Griffeth – Private practice; Phillip Comer Griffeth, LLC; Athens
• Ethelyn N. Simpson – Magistrate Judge; Athens-Clarke County