Two running for Peach County Probate Court judge

Two candidates — attorney Karin Vinson and Probate Court employee Kim Wilson — are in the running for Peach County Probate Court judge.

Longtime Judge Deborah W. Hunnicutt is retiring at the end of May. And while her successor will be determined in the May 24 election, an associate judge will fill in until either Vinson or Wilson takes office in January.

Vinson, 27, who practices law from her home, touts her experience as an attorney.

Vinson, who earned her law degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in May 2013, said Peach County residents “deserve” a judge who has a law degree.

Under state law, a candidate for judge of the Probate Court must be at least 25 years old, a high school graduate and a county resident for at least two years prior to the election.

But in counties with populations over 96,000, a Probate Court judge candidate must have practiced law for seven years and be at least 30 years old. Peach County’s population was estimated at 26,720 as of July 1, 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Probate judges also are required to complete a training certification program.

According to her biography on her Facebook page, Vinson provides legal services in areas such as family law, estate planning, criminal law, probate administration and litigation, and general civil litigation.

If elected, Vinson said she would place links to common Probate Court forms on the court website. The website now has a link to the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia website, which offers links to various forms needed in Probate Court.

She also hopes to enlist some attorneys to offer a clinic on wills. Although she cannot volunteer at the clinics if she’s elected judge, she said thinks she has enough connections with other attorneys to find some volunteers.

Vinson said she’s running for the judgeship as a way to give back to her community.

Wilson, her 47-year-old opponent, notes her experience working in Probate Court for the past 18 years.

“I have done every job in the Probate Office during my career, and I’m familiar and proficient with each of them,” Wilson said.

Wilson has been preparing herself for years to seek the post upon Hunnicutt’s retirement.

She noted that she has attended seminars for Probate Court clerks and attended training for Probate Court judges. That has allowed her to remain current on proposed legislation and any new laws related to Probate Court.

Wilson, who thinks of herself as a public servant if elected to serve in the nonpartisan post, also touts her ties to the community and is using Facebook to promote her campaign.

Wilson said she doesn’t think there is an advantage to being an attorney to serve as a Probate Court judge. She said she can be more fair and impartial without a law degree.

This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Two running for Peach County Probate Court judge."