Northern Circuit Gets New Judge

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

The Northern Judicial Circuit has a new Superior Court Judge.

On Friday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed Elberton attorney Chris Phelps to the position left vacant when Judge John Bailey retired at the end of December.

Phelps has been engaged in private practice in Elberton since April of 1976.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of West Georgia and his law degree from University of Georgia.

Judge Phelps now joins the Northern Circuit’s other two judges, Thomas L. Hodges and Jeffery S. Malcolm.

Judge Hodges is now the new Chief Judge for the Northern Circuit.

A total of 10 names were originally nominated and submitted for consideration to the Judicial Nominating Committee in December along with their respective applications.

Among them was Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White.

In mid-January, the JNC announced it had narrowed its recommendations down to three.

Those three were Phelps, Billy I. Daughtry, Jr. – sole practitioner, Bill Daughtry, Attorney at Law, LLC, and John Stephen Jenkins, Sr. – State Court of Elbert County Judge and general practice attorney with Jenkins Law, LLC.