Georgia Senate bill could eliminate 19 Superior Court judgeships, including vacant one in Muscogee County

Probate Judge Julia Lumpkin was the final nominee for the vacant Muscogee County Superior Court judgeship that will be appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

But it may not matter if a bill introduced in the Georgia Senate on Wednesday gets through the General Assembly.

Sen. Mitch Seabaugh is proposing cutting 19 Superior Court judges — a move he says could save the state up to $14 million. Seabaugh says Senate Bill 485 would reduce the number of superior court judges to 186 from 205.

There are six judgeships in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, including the one being vacated by Robert Johnston’s resignation.

The state is facing a $2 billion shortfall and the local judgeship could get lost in the cuts, said Sen. Seth Harp, R-Columbus.

“We probably would lose the judgeship in Columbus,” Harp said. “I have been telling people for weeks this could very well happen.”

Chattahoochee Circuit Chief Judge John Allen has called a meeting today to discuss the legislation and making sure the state has accurate case-load numbers from the circuit. All the Superior Court judges, Superior Court Clerk Linda Pierce, representatives from the city’s Information Technology department and Sheriff John Darr have been summoned to the meeting, Allen said.

Allen said he did not know how the state would cut the judgeships if the bill is passed.

“I have no idea what the plan is,” he said. “There are a lot of difficulties to figure out which ones are gone. There are no rules, no laws, no legislation to deal with that. I guess the legislature can choose not to fund judgeships.”

Lumpkin’s nomination, which was submitted by Associate Probate Judge Marc D’Antonio, was received by the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission just before the deadline Tuesday, said Barbara Watson, who is compiling the list for her boss, commission Chairman Mike Bowers.

That brings the number of people seeking the job to 13.

They are: former Muscogee County District Attorney Gray Conger; State Court Judge Maureen Gottfried; State Court Solicitor Ben Richardson; assistant Muscogee County district attorney LaRae Dixon Moore; Muscogee County public defender John Wilson; and Columbus attorneys Bill Rumer, Ron Mullins, Chris Meacham, Andy Dodgen, Pete Quezada, Cynthia Maisano and Stacey Jackson.

“There are a lot of good folks on the list,” Lumpkin said Wednesday. “It’s a tough field and I am honored to be in it.”

D’Antonio said he nominated Lumpkin, who has served 11 years as Probate judge “because she has the intelligence, experience and temperament to be a very good Superior Court judge.”

Just because someone is nominated does not mean they will apply for the job, Watson said.

Those nominated who also meet the qualifications have until March 19 to return applications. Interviews with the commission will be held March 29.

The commission will submit a short list to Perdue, who will appoint a judge to fill Johnston’s unexpired term. The governor is not obligated to appoint someone on the short list, but has done so throughout his in years in office, Watson said.