Last week, the Judicial Nominating Commission announced that it had submitted its recommendations to fill a vacancy within, amongst other circuits, the Superior Court of the Coweta Judicial Circuit. The JNC recommended three names to take the position that was left open by Judge Jack Kirby, who resigned his position in December of 2018 and saw his last official day in January 2019. Those three names included two local, lauded legal professionals in Jeff Todd and Marquette Baker.

Todd is a partner at Lewis, Taylor & Todd, P.C., and is a fixture at city council meetings for the cities of LaGrange, Hogansville and West Point, where he serves as the city attorney for all three. He was also on the short list for this judgeship when Judge Kirby was appointed in 2006. Todd is known for his knowledge of the law, along with his congenial demeanor and ability to deftly handle complicated legal matters for municipal governments.

Baker is the current Troup County Solicitor-General, a position she has held since 2004. Baker has also been considered to fill a judgeship in the circuit previously. In 2015 she was on the short list for a new judgeship being created in the circuit, a job which went to Travis Sakrison. She was also considered for a Coweta Judicial Circuit seat that went to Judge Dustin Hightower

Baker has long been an advocate for the alternative courts, including the mental health and DUI courts, and is a savvy Solicitor-General who has spent more than a decade serving the county in her own right and is well-respected in her profession.

The Judicial Nominating Commission has selected two of the top legal minds in Troup County to potentially fill this judgeship, and Gov. Brian Kemp would not go wrong in choosing either. If either is selected, they will certainly be missed in their current role, but both would be deserving of the chance to follow in Kirby’s footsteps and serve the Coweta Judicial Circuit. We wish them both luck as this process plays out.