Names of 27 nominees for two Ocmulgee Superior Court judgeships released

Twenty-seven lawyers have been nominated to fill two Ocmulgee Superior Court judgeships.

The Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission is set to conduct interviews Nov. 24 and later submit a short list to the governor for further consideration and ultimately two appointments to the bench.

Early nominees were Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright, Putnam County State Court Judge Michael Gailey and Madison-based lawyer Christian Henry.

A final list released Tuesday also includes:

Circuit Chief Assistant District Attorney Stephen Andrew Bradley and circuit prosecutors Alison Burleson and Dawn M. Baskin;

Putnam County Probate Judge Patrice S. Underkofler;

John Bradley of the circuit’s public defender’s office;

Griffin circuit prosecutor Kimberly S. Schwartz;

Carl Santos Cansino and Amanda Petty of Millegeville’s Cansino Petty & Stribling firm;

Gray-based lawyer Ashley Mackin Brodie;

Eatonton-based lawyers Kirk Cheney, Christopher D. Huskins and John Frederick Nebl;

Madison-based lawyers C. Wilson Dubose, Brad J. Evans, Lynne Perkins-Brown and Brenda Trammell;

Winterville-based lawyer Charles C. Horton;

Monticello-based lawyer Timothy Lam;

Conyers-based lawyer Terry Massey;

Milledgeville-based lawyers Calvin McMullen and Kelli C. Rutherford;

Sandersville-based lawyer Thomas J. O’Donnell;

Former Macon circuit prosecutor Sara E. Roberts; and

Gordon-based lawyer Keri Foster Thompson.

The Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit comprises Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jones, Morgan, Putnam and Wilkinson counties.

The vacancies were created by the Aug. 21 death of Judge Jim Cline and the upcoming retirement of Judge Hulane E. George.

Cline, 62, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

George became the circuit’s first female Superior Court judge upon her appointment to the bench in 1994. She is set to retire Dec. 31.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Names of 27 nominees for two Ocmulgee Superior Court judgeships released ."