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COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County Superior Courtroom Decide John Ott says he’ll retire Dec. 31 and finish a 41-year profession working in some capability within the Alcovy Judicial Circuit.
Ott additionally requested Gov. Brian Kemp to nominate him as a senior decide “in order that I can proceed to be of some service to the court docket system and folks of Georgia.”
The Walton County resident is also the chief decide of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, serving with 4 different Superior Courtroom judges overseeing legal and civil instances in Newton and Walton counties.
After incomes his undergraduate diploma from UGA in 1976, Ott acquired his regulation diploma from the Walter F. George Faculty of Legislation in 1981.
Ott labored as an assistant district legal professional within the Alcovy Circuit from 1981 to 1985. He was elected district legal professional in November 1984 and served till 1990 when Gov. Joe Frank Harris appointed him to the Superior Courtroom bench.
“For the previous 41 years, I’ve had the privilege, honor and pleasure of serving the folks of my circuit and the state of Georgia as an assistant district legal professional and district legal professional for 9 years, and a Superior Courtroom decide for 32 years,” Ott mentioned in his letter notifying Kemp of his retirement.
“I’ve been supported by superior workers, nice sheriffs, police chiefs, clerks of court docket and by county commissions which have at all times stood prepared to fulfill any wants of the court docket system.
“I’ve additionally loved the numerous positive attorneys which have practiced earlier than me,” he mentioned.
Superior Courtroom judges are elected on a nonpartisan foundation. Ott was most lately re-elected in 2020 with out opposition and his present time period was to finish in December 2024.
District Legal professional Randy McGinley, who’s president of the Newton County Bar Affiliation, mentioned Ott “has faithfully served this circuit for over 4 a long time.”
“By any measure, he had a tremendous authorized profession,” McGinley mentioned. “He at all times ran a good, environment friendly, and efficient courtroom and his influence on these in each Newton and Walton counties will nonetheless be felt for years to come back.
“Because the president of the Newton County Bar Affiliation, all of us want Decide Ott one of the best and sit up for nonetheless showing in entrance of him as a senior decide,” McGinley mentioned.
Superior Courts in Georgia have unique, constitutional authority over felonies, divorces, fairness instances and issues concerning title to land.
In response to the Georgia Structure, the governor will appoint Ott’s successor to serve till the following election for the judgeship in 2024.
Although not required, the governor possible will appoint somebody from Walton County to exchange Ott to keep up the normal break up of Superior Courtroom judges from Newton and Walton counties within the Alcovy Circuit.
Historically, Newton residents stuffed a majority of the Superior Courtroom decide seats based mostly on the county having a majority of the inhabitants within the two-county judicial circuit. At the moment, the circuit’s Superior Courtroom judges embody Walton residents Ott and Jeffrey Foster, and Newton residents Cheveda McCamy, Ken Wynne and Layla Zon.
If appointed as a senior decide as anticipated, Ott could hear instances in any circuit on the request of a neighborhood decide, administrative decide or the governor, in response to data from “The Legislator’s Information to Georgia’s Courts.”
It is a creating story. Return to covnews.com for extra data.
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