After four years of waiting, the Piedmont Judicial Circuit will get a fourth Superior Court Judge.
The passage of Senate Bill 356 created a new judgeship for the Piedmont Circuit as well as a third judgeship for the Bell-Forsyth Circuit, according to Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson). The bill goes into effect Jan. 1.
“The money is in the budget,” Benton said. “It will be an appointed position starting Jan. 1. The appointed judge will serve for two years and then stand for election in 2014.”
Benton and Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) introduced legislation four years ago seeking the fourth judgeship.
“We were number one on the list for three years and we dropped to number two as the circuit needing the next judge,” Benton said. “Terry England and I introduced the legislation four years ago and two years ago, and were looking to introduce it again, and we saw where Jack Murphy had introduced legislation for the circuit that includes Forsyth County (Bell-Forsyth). The House added (the Piedmont Circuit) and it’s already funded.”
Benton said the judge will make approximately $130,000 per year.
Gov. Nathan Deal will make the appointment.
“Usually the governor appoints a search committee and they report back to the governor,” Benton said. “That’s what they did with the state court judge.”
The Piedmont Judicial Circuit comprises Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties. Its Superior Court judges are Joe Booth, David Motes and Currie Mingledorff.
SB 356 originally called for the creation of a new judgeship in the Middle Georgia Circuit, but was eventually amended to create the fourth judgeship of the Piedmont Circuit. The bill also provides for the election of a Chief Judge of the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit by the Superior Court judges of the circuit.
