Nearly 70 elected officials and community leaders have signed a letter supporting a proposal to require probate judges to be chosen in nonpartisan elections.
On the November ballot, voters will be asked whether the Georgia Constitution should be amended to require all probate judges to be elected rather than appointed. If the resolution passes, probate judges will appear on future ballots as nonpartisan candidates.
“Judicial candidates should be evaluated on their qualifications, judgment, integrity, and commitment to the law – not on partisan affiliation,” according to the letter.
The letter goes on to state that Georgia’s 50-plus probate judges serve an important and personal role, touching the lives of citizens across the political spectrum. Probate judges oversee matters involving wills, estates, guardianships, marriage licenses, mental health, and “other deeply sensitive issues that affect families during some of the most difficult and emotional moments of their lives.”
The letter signers are a group of Democrats and Republicans including The Temple’s Rabbi Peter Berg, Ebenzer Baptist Church leader Rev. John H. Vaughn, former governors Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal, and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. The mayors of Augusta, Columbus, Albany, Athens, and 25 other cities also signed.
Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals, superior court judges, state court judges, and magistrate judges all run in nonpartisan elections. Probate judges are the exception.
“At a time when public trust in institutions is increasingly fragile, Georgia has an opportunity to strengthen confidence in our judiciary by emphasizing neutrality, fairness, and independence. Judges should answer to the law and the Constitution – not to partisan political pressure. We respectfully ask you to support this constitutional amendment and help build a stronger, more impartial judiciary for future generations of Georgians,” the letter states.
The proposal received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Georgia General Assembly. The measure passed the Georgia House of Representatives by a vote of 147-20 and the Georgia Senate unanimously in a 46-0 vote. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Resolution 251 (HR 251) on May 12, officially proposing the statewide amendment.
