
Article 6 Probate Courts
In counties with a population of 90,000 or greater, the judge of the probate court must, with one exception, be an attorney with the same qualifications as a superior court judge. The one exception is that a non-attorney judge of the probate court already serving when the county population reaches or exceeds 90,000 may continue to serve and may run for re-election; any other candidate must be an attorney and meet the requirements of Article 6. In Article 6 probate courts, all matters are tried before a licensed attorney judge, with the right to trial by jury, whenever applicable. Appeals from Article 6 probate courts are taken directly to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia in the same manner as are appeals from the superior courts. Below is the current listing of counties with Article 6 probate courts and the respective judges:
County | Judge |
---|---|
Athens-Clarke | Judge Susan Schaffer |
Bartow | Judge Barry Greene |
Carroll | Judge Edie Haney |
Chatham | Judge Tom Bordeaux, Jr. |
Cherokee | Judge Keith Wood |
Clayton | Judge Pam Ferguson |
Cobb | Judge Kelli Wolk |
Columbia | Judge Alice Padgett |
Coweta | Judge Carrie Markham |
DeKalb | Judge Bedelia Hargrove |
Dougherty | Judge Leisa Blount |
Douglas | Judge Christina Peterson |
Fayette | Judge Ann Jackson |
Floyd | Judge Steven Burkhalter |
Forsyth | Judge Daisy Weeks-Marisko |
Fulton | Judge Kenya Johnson |
Gwinnett | Judge Christopher Ballar |
Hall | Judge Patty Walters Laine |
Henry | Judge Kelley Powell |
Houston | Judge Kristen Harris |
Lowndes | Judge Detria Carter Powell |
Macon-Bibb | Judge Sarah Harris |
Muscogee | Judge Marc D’Antonio |
Newton | Judge Melanie Bell |
Paulding | Judge Angela Woodall |
Richmond | Judge Harry James, III |
Rockdale | Judge Gary Washington, Jr. |
Whitfield | Judge Sheri Blevins |