Georgia Court of Appeals
The Georgia Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Georgia. It was established in 1906 and has five divisions with three judges each. According to information provided by the court's official source:
| “ | The Court of Appeals has statewide appellate jurisdiction of all cases except those involving constitutional questions, murder, and habeas corpus cases where original appellate jurisdiction lies with the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals may certify legal questions to the Supreme Court.[1] | ” |
| —Georgia Court of Appeals, official website[2] | ||
| Georgia Court of Appeals | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 15 | ||
| Founded: | 1906 | ||
| Salary: | Associates: $187,990[3] | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Nonpartisan election of judges | ||
| Term: | 6 years | ||
Judges
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
January 1, 2016 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
April 3, 2024 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 1999 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2011 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2009 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
April 10, 2020 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 2016 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
August 7, 2023 - Present |
Georgia Court of Appeals |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
July 11, 2023 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 2025 - Present |
||
|
2010 - Present |
Sonny Perdue |
Chief judge
Amanda Mercier is the current chief judge.
Salary
- See also: Georgia court salaries and budgets
In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $187,990, according to the National Center for State Courts.[4]
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Georgia
The fifteen judges on the Georgia Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan elections to serve six-year terms. If they wish to continue serving, they must run for re-election.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
Chief judge
Judges of the Georgia Court of Appeals serve as chief judge on generally a two-year rotating basis, based on seniority. The chief judge of the court has the authority given by statute to appoint a presiding judge for each of the five divisions of the court.[6]
Vacancies
If a vacancy appears on the court, the position is filled by assisted appointment. The governor chooses an appointee from a list of qualified candidates compiled by the judicial nominating commission. As of March 2023, the judicial nominating commission consisted of 35 members, each appointed by the governor. For each court vacancy, the commission recommends candidates, but the governor is not bound to the commission's choices and may choose to appoint a judge not found on the list.[7] If appointed, an interim judge must run in the next general election held at least six months after the appointment, and, if confirmed by voters, he or she may finish the rest of the predecessor's term.[5][8][9]
Ethics
The Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Georgia. It consists of four overarching canons:
| “ |
|
” |
The full text of the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.
Removal
Judges in Georgia may be removed in one of two ways:
- By the Judicial Qualifications Commission of Georgia, which may discipline, remove, or retire a judge. The removal or retirement of a judge must be approved by the Georgia Supreme Court.
- By an impeachment of the judge by the Georgia House of Representatives and a conviction by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Georgia State Senate.[11]
Elections
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2030
Jeffrey Watkins' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Amanda Mercier's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Brian Rickman's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Stephen Dillard's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Jeff Davis' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Ben Land's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Ken Hodges' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2028
John Pipkin III's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Anne Barnes' seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Chris McFadden's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
Sara Doyle's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
D. Todd Markle's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
J. Wade Padgett's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Elizabeth Gobeil's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
E. Trenton Brown III's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
Jeffrey Watkins' seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Jeffrey A. Watkins (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jeffrey A. Watkins (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,041,637 | |
| Total votes: 1,041,637 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Amanda Mercier's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Amanda Mercier (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Amanda Mercier (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,047,454 | |
| Total votes: 1,047,454 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Brian Rickman's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Brian Rickman (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian Rickman (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,040,358 | |
| Total votes: 1,040,358 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Stephen Dillard's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Stephen Dillard (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stephen Dillard (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,050,079 |
| Total votes: 1,050,079 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Yvette Miller's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Jeff Davis (Nonpartisan) defeated Tabitha Ponder (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jeff Davis (Nonpartisan) ![]() | 57.1 | 636,193 | |
Tabitha Ponder (Nonpartisan) ![]() | 42.9 | 477,885 | ||
| Total votes: 1,114,078 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Ben Land's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Ben Land (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Land (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,044,117 |
| Total votes: 1,044,117 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Ken Hodges' seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Ken Hodges (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Hodges (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,052,361 |
| Total votes: 1,052,361 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
Regular election: McFadden's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Chris McFadden (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris McFadden (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,620,325 |
| Total votes: 1,620,325 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Regular election: Barnes' seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Anne Barnes (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Anne Barnes (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,626,523 |
| Total votes: 1,626,523 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Special election: Pipkin's seat
General election
Special general election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent John Pipkin III (Nonpartisan) won election in the special general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Pipkin III (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,606,449 | |
| Total votes: 1,606,449 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
McMillian's seat
General election
The general election scheduled for June 9, 2020, was canceled.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Carla W. McMillian (Nonpartisan) (Withdrew, appeared on ballot)
Brown's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent E. Trenton Brown III (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | E. Trenton Brown III (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,935,624 | |
| Total votes: 1,935,624 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Markle's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent D. Todd Markle (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | D. Todd Markle (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,907,855 |
| Total votes: 1,907,855 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Coomer's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Christian Coomer (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christian Coomer (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,916,688 |
| Total votes: 1,916,688 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Doyle's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Sara Doyle (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sara Doyle (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,941,037 |
| Total votes: 1,941,037 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Judy Aust (Nonpartisan)
- Audrey Berland (Nonpartisan)
- Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow (Nonpartisan)
- Bennett Bryan (Nonpartisan)
- Nicole Leet (Nonpartisan)
- Tabitha Ponder (Nonpartisan)
- Lyndsey Rudder (Nonpartisan)
Gobeil's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Elizabeth Gobeil (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Elizabeth Gobeil (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,917,995 | |
| Total votes: 1,917,995 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Rickman's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Brian Rickman (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian Rickman (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 879,575 | |
| Total votes: 879,575 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Dillard's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Stephen Dillard (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Stephen Dillard (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 881,916 |
| Total votes: 881,916 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Miller's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Yvette Miller (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Yvette Miller (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 895,451 |
| Total votes: 895,451 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Mercier's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Amanda Mercier (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Amanda Mercier (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 892,718 | |
| Total votes: 892,718 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Bethel's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Charlie Bethel (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Charlie Bethel (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 886,924 |
| Total votes: 886,924 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Reese's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Incumbent Clyde Reese (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Clyde Reese (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 879,627 | |
| Total votes: 879,627 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Ellington's seat
See also: Georgia intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia Court of Appeals
Ken Hodges (Nonpartisan) defeated Ken Shigley (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Georgia Court of Appeals on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Hodges (Nonpartisan) | 69.9 | 665,875 |
| | Ken Shigley (Nonpartisan) | 30.1 | 286,093 | |
| Total votes: 951,968 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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History
The Georgia Bar Association first proposed the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1895. The association launched a campaign to secure an intermediate court between trial courts and the Georgia Supreme Court. Eleven years after the first proposal a bill to submit to the electorate an Amendment to the State Constitution creating a Court of Appeals and defining its jurisdiction was approved almost unanimously by the Georgia legislature. The amendment went on to be ratified by the electorate on October 3, 1906. The Supreme Court maintained final appellate jurisdiction in capital felonies, and its precedents were binding to the Court of Appeals, but certain civil cases are given final appellate jurisdiction over certain civil cases.[6]
State profile
| Demographic data for Georgia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 10,199,398 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 57,513 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 60.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 30.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.1% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,620 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 21.1% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Georgia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Georgia
Georgia voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Georgia, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[12]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Georgia had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Georgia coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Georgia
- United States congressional delegations from Georgia
- Public policy in Georgia
- Endorsers in Georgia
- Georgia fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia Court of Appeals, "Official site," accessed May 18, 2014
- ↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Georgia Court of Appeals, "History," accessed May 18, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Executive Order," accessed March 29, 2023
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Gov. Kemp Names 35 to Judicial Nominating Commission," October 27, 2021
- ↑ Judicial Council of Georgia: Administrative Office of the Courts, "Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed September 10, 2021
- ↑ National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges," accessed May 9, 2015
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia
State courts:
Georgia Supreme Court • Georgia Court of Appeals • Georgia Superior Courts • Georgia State Courts • Georgia Business Court • Georgia Tax Court • Georgia Juvenile Courts • Georgia Probate Courts • Georgia Magistrate Courts • Georgia Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Georgia • Georgia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Georgia
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