Governor Brian Kemp announced the appointment of Judge Nichole Carswell and Judge Carlton “Hobie” Jones III to serve on the Mountain Circuit Superior Court. The appointments are to fill vacancies created by the retirement of Judge Chan Caudell and the late Judge Rusty Smith.
Judge Nichole Carswell currently serves as the juvenile court judge of the Mountain Judicial Circuit and will fill the vacancy created by Judge Caudell’s retirement. Judge Carswell has served in her current role since 2017 and presides over the Mountain Judicial Circuit Family Dependency Treatment Court. Prior to her appointment, she was a partner at McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe, LLP in Toccoa where she focused her practice on family law, adoptions, real estate law, probate, appellate law, and general litigation. Carswell earned her B.A. from Middle Tennessee State University and her J.D. from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.
Judge Carlton “Hobie” Jones III currently serves as the probate judge in Rabun County and will fill the vacancy created by the passing of Judge Smith. Judge Jones has served as probate judge since his election in 2020. Throughout his 39-year career, Judge Jones has held positions as a municipal judge, a state court judge (by special appointment), and a magistrate judge. In 1986, he began his legal career as an associate attorney at Glover and Davis in Newnan and Peachtree City, Georgia. Judge Jones graduated from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and School of Law.
In addition to their judicial roles, both Judge Carswell and Judge Jones have served in various roles within the legal community. Judge Carswell and Judge Jones are members of the State Bar of Georgia and the Mountain Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
