Katrell Nash, a local attorney with over a decade of experience in criminal law, says she should be the one to be a permanent replacement for the late Judge William Jennings as chief magistrate for Augusta/Richmond County Civil and Magistrate Court.
Nash made the announcement of her intention to run for the seat in 2022 on the steps of the Augusta Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse on Dec. 16.
The seat is currently held by Carletta Sims Brown. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed her to the position in February 2021.
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Judge “Bill” Jennings was an icon of the court, having served as judge for 33 years, and was well known for his wit as well as his jurisprudence. Jennings died in 2020 at age 68 while still serving on the bench.
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Nash said that as a former employee of the Augusta Public Defender’s Office, she was regularly in front of Jennings’ court. She said she doesn’t intend to try to bring back his larger than life persona, but she will preside over the court with his sense of fairness and compassion.
“Oh, I was definitely on the receiving end of him speaking in Latin, and I learned a lot from him,” Nash said, adding, “I’ve had the privilege of serving before Judge Jennings my entire career, and he was a wonderful person. But I don’t want to fill his shoes. I am going to bring something new.”
According to Nash, Civil and Magistrate Court is where many troubled youths end up after their first brush with the law, and it can be the place to help prevent those youths from ever seeing the inside of Superior Court and accused of much more serious charges.
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Nash says that as a private citizen, she had offered informal lectures to students in Richmond County, North Augusta and even Lincoln County to give them a further understanding of how the law works and how there is a big difference between a harmless prank and an act of illegality.
“Usually, before things matriculate into Superior or State Court, there is a starting point in Civil or Magistrate Court. Hopefully, when I’m elected, I’d like to bring some changes so that this stop is the last stop,” Nash said.
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Aside from her private attorney practice, Nash is currently the incoming president of the Augusta Bar Association and a board member of the American Red Cross East Central Region.
Incumbent Chief Judge Brown has also filed her Declaration of Intent to run for the office, according to the Richmond County Board of Elections.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
