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Maggie Rentz Smith
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2020
Maggie Rentz Smith is the chief judge of the Decatur County Magistrate Court in Georgia. She was appointed to the position in late 2015, following the announcement that Ralph C. Smith Jr. would retire from the seat. Smith took office on January 1, 2016, and won election to a full four-year term in the nonpartisan general election on May 24, 2016.[1]
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.[2]
Incumbent Maggie Rentz Smith defeated Dan Stone in the general election for the Decatur County chief magistrate judge.
| Decatur County Magistrate Court, Chief Judge General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Maggie Rentz Smith Incumbent |
77.95% | 3,680 |
| Dan Stone | 22.05% | 1,041 |
| Total Votes | 4,721 | |
| 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.[3] 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.[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Post-Searchlight.com, "Bainbridge native Maggie Rentz Smith named magistrate judge," December 31, 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
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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