Georgia
Georgia Supreme Court chief justice to step down at end of March
Michael Boggs (Supreme Court of Georgia)
ATLANTA – Georgia’s highest court will need a new chief justice.
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Boggs announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down from the bench at the end of March.
The backstory:
Chief Justice Michael Boggs, a prominent figure in Georgia’s judicial system, has announced his decision to step down from the Georgia Supreme Court at the end of March. Boggs, who hails from Pierce County in south Georgia, has dedicated 25 years to public service, holding various positions including state representative, superior court judge, Court of Appeals judge, and Supreme Court justice. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-Governor Nathan Deal in December 2016 and has been reelected twice. In July 2022, he assumed the role of chief justice.
What we know:
In a letter addressed to Governor Brian Kemp, Chief Justice Boggs expressed his intention to leave the bench at the conclusion of the court term. He plans to return to private practice, as stated in a news release from the Supreme Court. Boggs highlighted his commitment to being a “good steward of the public’s trust” and found it rewarding to contribute to efforts that enhance Georgia’s judicial system. His resignation is influenced by “increasing family and personal obligations,” especially following his wife’s recent retirement from full-time teaching.
What’s next:
With Boggs stepping down, Governor Kemp will be responsible for appointing a new justice to the Georgia Supreme Court. Subsequently, the justices will select a new chief justice to lead the court. This transition marks a significant change in the state’s judicial leadership and presents an opportunity for new perspectives within the court.
Why you should care:
The resignation of Chief Justice Boggs is a pivotal moment for Georgia’s judicial system. His departure not only signifies a change in leadership but also opens the door for potential shifts in the court’s dynamics and decision-making processes. As the state prepares for this transition, the appointment of a new justice and the selection of a new chief justice will be crucial in shaping the future of Georgia’s legal landscape.
The Source: This Associated Press article uses information released by the Georgia Supreme Court.
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Kirk Fordice-like Rick Jackson is sounding a whole lot like Daniel Kirkwood Fordice as he tries to be elected Georgia’s next governor.
Fordice came out of nowhere — actually, Vicksburg is somewhere but you know what I mean — in 1991 to become a two-term Mississippi governor.
He had money but nothing like Jackson, a billionaire businessman who’s also trying to emerge from nowhere politically to win Georgia’s top office.
“The establishment hated Trump, because they couldn’t control him. They are going to hate me,” Jackson says in an ad for Georgia’s Republican Primary on May 19, sounding like one of my favorite Mississippi governors — Fordice, because of his unpredictable personality (he could vilify or charm you, all in one sentence), not his politics. He died in 2004 of cancer.
I stood by a cafe entrance one morning, waiting to cover a Fordice speech. When he appeared, I stuck out my hand to shake his. “I’m not shaking your damn hand. You’re part of the problem down there (referring to the newspaper),” he told me, smiling and moving on.
Jackson rose to become one of economic giant-Georgia’s wealthiest people. He came from Atlanta’s rough midtown area, ending up in the foster care system. He left college due to poor financial circumstances.
The 71-year-old Jackson wormed his way into the dynamic city’s business scene in the late 1970s, mostly of the healthcare variety with mixed success before starting a workforce staffing and services company and later an antibiotics manufacturing plant. He turned those businesses into billion-dollar enterprises.
“It’s God’s money,” he said in rural Blakely, and he’s been charitable with it.
Jackson doesn’t try to hide his vast wealth. His family lives in a 48,000-square-foot mansion at Cumming, a place of nearly 100,000 people near Atlanta in Forsyth County, which once promoted its almost all-white population as a virtue.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Bill Torpy recently wrote that Jackson will spend a ton of his own money in seeking another mansion, the one occupied by Georgia’s governor. Torpy noted that present Lt. Gov. Burt Jones was once heavily favored to win the primary race, but he’s fallen behind Jackson’s bold money bid.
“The one-time front-runner in the Republican primary (Jones) has been relegated to No. 2, the result of a $100 million Mack truck running him over.
Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare tycoon, a man with a sly smile and reptilian gaze, is the guy driving that truck,” Torpy wrote.
The GOP field includes Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, who spurned Trump’s demand to find 11,780 votes that would’ve allowed him to win Georgia in 2020.
Fordice was effective with some bombastic rhetoric during his run for governor, but I don’t remember it reaching the histrionic level employed by Jackson. In a major ad blitz, often referencing (Georgia college student) Laken Riley’s murderer, Jackson promises that unauthorized immigrants committing violent crimes will be “deported or departed … any questions?”
In another ad, Jackson growled, “Like President Trump, I don’t owe anybody anything, and like you, I’m sick of career politicians.”
Fordice spent only $1 million to get himself elected Mississippi’s governor. He somewhat sneaked up on the establishment, riding no escalator to the first floor of his Vicksburg concrete river mats-contracting office to declare his intentions. Who could ever forget his announcement seeking the governorship that ran on page 5 of the Clarion Ledger?
Recent polling ahead of Georgia’s May primaries for governor shows the eventual Republican nominee faces a strong Democrat in the November general election, most likely former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. That’ll require another whole pot of money.
— Mac Gordon, a native of McComb, is a retired Mississippi newspaperman. He can be reached at macmarygordon@gmail.com.
Gulfstream recently announced a $5 million investment in Georgia education, welcoming students and leaders to its Savannah headquarters.
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