Georgia Governor Brian Kemp officially announced on Dec. 27 the appointment of State Representative Barry Fleming (R-Harlem) to replace retiring Chief Superior Court Judge James Blanchard.
Fleming served as a representative in the Georgia General Assembly from 2003 to 2009 and returned to the district 125 seat in 2013, where he currently is a member and once held the position of majority whip.
A graduate of UGA Law School, Fleming has led a successful private legal career, most recently as a founding partner of Fleming, Nelson & Blitch, LLP.
Fleming’s awards include the Guardian of Justice Award from the Georgia District Attorney’s Association, Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia Family Council as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
In 2021, Fleming was instrumental in helping Columbia County break away from the Augusta judicial circuit; a move which garnered him widespread praise in the largely conservative county, but several national news media outlets questioned Fleming’s motives since the move came on the heels of the election of Jared Williams as Augusta circuit district attorney.
Fleming says that he is humbled that Gov. Kemp chose him to replace the widely esteemed Blanchard and that he plans to continue to build on the legacy Blanchard leaves behind.
“I know I won’t be able to fill his shoes for some time, but the good news is that I am walking into a very well-run circuit,” Fleming said.
While Fleming will inherit Blanchard’s current caseload, he will not become chief judge. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, Superior Court in Georgia operates on seniority, so Judge Sheryl Jolly will move into the position of chief judge.
Since Fleming is a current member of the General Assembly and the 2024 session is looming on the horizon, the Governor now must act quickly to call for a special election.
“The Governor has a wide latitude on scheduling special elections when the Assembly is not in session, but since the Assembly is about to go into session, he will have to act quickly and call for a ‘snap election,’” Fleming said.
The appointment means that Columbia County will see two new faces represent them in the near future as District 131 House Rep. Jodi Lott says that she is term-limiting herself and will not run for her seat in the 2024 election.
Augusta Circuit Chief Judge Daniel Craig says that he and his colleagues welcome Fleming to the bench and that he feels Fleming will serve the citizens of Columbia County with distinction.
“Having known him since he was an intern in the District Attorney’s Office, I can assure the community that he brings to this position a remarkable level of knowledge and ability,” Craig said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
