Who Gets to Pick Our Judges? Now We Know the Process Has Begun

Recently, I raised a question that every citizen in Muscogee County should be asking: “Who Gets to Pick Our Judges?”

Well, we now have an important update.

The process of selecting two new State Court judges in Muscogee County is officially underway. And while the public may not get to cast a ballot for the individuals who initially fill these seats, we certainly should be paying attention to who is being considered — and who ultimately gets appointed.

The Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission, established by executive order of Gov. Brian Kemp, is accepting nominations for individuals interested in filling two vacancies on the State Court of Muscogee County.

One vacancy was created by the resignation of Judge Andy Prather. The second judgeship was created through legislation passed during the 2026 session of the Georgia General Assembly.

According to the commission, applicants will be considered for both vacancies, and nominations must be received no later than Aug. 27, 2026.

That means the question I raised before is no longer theoretical.

The process is happening right now.

And that should matter to every citizen of Muscogee County.

Judges have tremendous power. They make decisions involving families, businesses, criminal defendants, victims and the futures of people who walk into their courtrooms every day. Yet when a judicial vacancy occurs between elections, the people do not necessarily get the first opportunity to decide who fills that seat.

Instead, the Judicial Nominating Commission reviews candidates and makes recommendations to the governor, who ultimately makes the appointment.

That is why we cannot afford to treat this process as something that only lawyers, politicians and courthouse insiders need to understand.

These are our courts. These are our judges. And these decisions affect our community.

As I wrote previously, there is also a larger conversation that Muscogee County must be willing to have about the composition of our judicial bench.

Does our bench reflect the community it serves?

Does it reflect the racial and gender diversity of Muscogee County?

Does it include judges with different professional backgrounds and life experiences?

And perhaps most importantly, are qualified attorneys from historically underrepresented communities being encouraged to put their names forward?

Representation alone does not guarantee justice. I have said before that simply putting a Black face or a woman's face on the bench is not enough. Experience matters. Temperament matters. Fairness matters. Integrity matters. And an understanding of the community matters.

But representation matters, too.

People should be able to look at the institutions responsible for administering justice and believe those institutions understand the community they serve.

This is why qualified attorneys who have the experience, integrity and temperament to serve should seriously consider applying. And those of us in the community who know qualified attorneys should encourage them to step forward.

Because you cannot complain about who gets selected if qualified people never enter the selection process.

At the same time, the public deserves transparency.

We should know how the process works. We should know who is responsible for recommending candidates. And once the appointment is made, we should examine the qualifications, experience and record of the person selected.

This is bigger than personalities and politics.

It is about who administers justice in Muscogee County for years to come.

The deadline for nominations is Aug. 27, 2026. Nominations may be submitted by email to nominations@robbinsfirm.com, attention Vincent Russo, co-chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission, or by mail to:

Judicial Nominating Commission
c/o Vincent Russo
500 14th St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30318

So, when I asked “Who Gets to Pick Our Judges?”, perhaps there was another question we should have been asking all along:

Who gets encouraged to apply?

Because before the governor can choose, someone has to get into the room for consideration.

The doors to that room are open right now.

Muscogee County should be paying attention to who walks through them.