Five Candidates Reportedly Under Consideration for Muscogee County State Court Vacancies

Five attorneys have reportedly been selected for consideration to fill two vacancies on the Muscogee County State Court bench, according to sources familiar with the judicial selection process.

The two openings were created by the resignation of Judge Andy Prather and the passage of House Bill 1258, designated Act 661, during the 2026 session of the Georgia General Assembly. The legislation created an additional judgeship on the Muscogee County State Court. The Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission confirmed both vacancies in an Aug. 13 notice.

The commission opened the application process in August, inviting members of the State Bar of Georgia and the public to submit nominations. The deadline for nominations was Aug. 27, followed by a Sept. 10 deadline for nominees to submit completed applications. All applicants were to be considered for both vacancies.

Under Georgia's judicial appointment process, candidates selected for interviews are evaluated by the Judicial Nominating Commission. Following the interviews, the commission meets in executive session and submits a list of recommended candidates to the governor. The governor may then interview candidates from that list before making an appointment.

According to the Courier Eco Latino sources, the five candidates currently under consideration are:

• Jennifer Dunlap
• Shaun O’Hara
• David Ranieri
• Alex Shalashali
• Shevon Thomas

The appointments will fill two seats on a court that handles a wide range of civil and criminal matters in Muscogee County, making the selections significant additions to the local judiciary.