Nominations are in for the sixth Superior Court judge of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.
The Georgia General Assembly approved adding the judgeship in Senate Bill 145, which passed in April.
The new judge will be appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2028. An election will be held in 2028 for the nonpartisan position for the term that begins in 2029.
The legislature approved $225,847 in state funding for the judge, although associated personnel – a prosecutor, public defender, court reporter and other staff – will cost local taxpayers $841,360, according to the proposed 2026 city budget.
Based on its caseload, the circuit has been considered “under-judged” since at least 2021, when Columbia County left to form its own circuit, taking along the three judges who lived there.
The Augusta Circuit is comprised of Richmond and Burke counties, with Burke making up about a tenth of the workload.
Nominations were due to the state Judicial Nominating Commission Oct. 30. A nominee can decline to apply for the position. The commission forms a short list of nominees to submit to the the governor.
The nominees are:
- Amber Brantley – Assistant district attorney for the Columbia Circuit who ran for Augusta district attorney last year
- Kristina “Kristi” Connell – Former chief ADA in the Augusta Circuit and lawyer in private practice
- Brandon Dial – Lawyer in private practice
- Robert “Bo” Hunter – Richmond County State Court judge
- Matthew Matson – Former prosecutor in state court who ran for Superior Court judge last year
- Kellie K. McIntyre – Chief Richmond County State Court judge
- Samuel Meller – Former Augusta senior staff attorney now deputy chief ADA
- Ashanti Lilley Pounds – Richmond County State Court judge; has indicated she is not applying
- Willie Saunders – Chief Augusta Circuit Juvenile Court judge who ran for superior court judge last year
- Monique Walker – Richmond County State Court judge
