Joyette Holmes
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Joyette Holmes is a former Republican chief magistrate judge of the Cobb County Magistrate Court in Georgia. She joined the court on March 13, 2015, and she ran unopposed for election to a full term in the general election on November 8, 2016. Holmes resigned on July 1, 2019, when she was sworn in as the district attorney for Cobb County.
Holmes was both the first African-American and the first woman to serve as a magistrate judge in Cobb County.[1] She was also the first African-American and the first woman to become district attorney in Cobb County.[2][3]
Biography
Holmes received two B.A. degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia. She earned her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.[1][4]
After law school, Holmes worked as a public defender in Maryland. She moved to Cobb County and practiced under the Law Office of Joyette Holmes. She ran for election to the Cobb County Traffic Court in 2012 with four other candidates, but did not win the position. She then served as a prosecutor for District Attorney D. Victor Reynolds and Solicitor Barry Morgan, and was appointed to the Cobb County Magistrate Court in 2015.[1][4]
Awards and associations
- Member, Cobb Community Foundation
- Citizen of the Year, Marietta Daily Journal (2020)[2]
- "20 Rising Stars Under 40," Cobb Life Magazine
- Woman of Achievement, Cobb County NAACP
Elections
2016
Georgia held elections for local judicial offices—some of which are partisan, others of which are nonpartisan—in 2016. On May 24, 2016, regions across the state held primaries for the partisan races and general elections for the nonpartisan races. Runoff races for both the partisan primaries and the nonpartisan general elections were held on July 26, 2016. The general election for partisan races took place on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 11, 2016.[5]
General election
Incumbent Joyette Holmes ran unopposed in the general election for the Cobb County chief magistrate judge.
| Cobb County Magistrate Court, Chief Judge General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Joyette Holmes Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 238,074 | |
| Total Votes | 238,074 | |||
| Source: Cobb County election results, "2016 General Election," accessed November 9, 2016 | ||||
Primary election
Incumbent Joyette Holmes ran unopposed in the Republican primary election for the Cobb County chief magistrate judge.
| Cobb County Magistrate Court, Chief Judge Republican Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Joyette Holmes Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 27,647 |
| Total Votes | 27,647 | |
| Source: Georgia Election Results, "General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election May 24, 2016," June 10, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan elections
Judges of the Georgia Magistrate Courts are either elected or appointed to terms of varying lengths.[6] The elections for this court type are contested and may be partisan or nonpartisan. To serve on this court, a judge must be a county resident for at least one year, be 25 years of age, and have a high school diploma or equivalent.[7]
Noteworthy cases
Prosecution in the case of Ahmaud Arbery
On May 11, 2020, attorney general Chris Carr (R) named Holmes as the prosecutor in the case of the death of Ahmaud Arbery. George McMichael and Travis McMichael were arrested and charged with Arbery's murder on May 7, 2020. According to police reports, Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery on February 23, 2020. Their arrest followed the release of video footage of the incident.[8] Holmes was the fourth prosecutor to be assigned to the case since it was opened.[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cobb County Official Website, "Magistrate Court - Directory," accessed May 11, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 GPB News, "Who Is Joyette Holmes, The New Prosecutor In The Ahmaud Arbery Case?" May 11, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The New York Times, "Killing of Ahmaud Arbery Is Switched to a Fourth Prosecutor," May 11, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Daily Report Online, "Losing an Election Led Holmes to Cobb Chief Magistrate Job," May 1, 2015
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Current and Past Election Results," accessed July 30, 2017
- ↑ New Georgia Encyclopedia, "Judicial Branch: Overview," June 5, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "2 Suspects Charged With Murder in Ahmaud Arbery Shooting," May 7, 2020
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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