The candidates for Chief Magistrate are Gerald “Jerry” Johnson, incumbent, and Souvanh “Sumo” Touralack. The duties of the chief magistrate include assigning cases among the several magistrates of a County and deciding any disputes between magistrates of the County. Responsibilities include civil disputes of $15,000 or less, search and arrest warrants, violations of county ordinances, and issuance of summons.
Gerald “Jerry” Johnson has served as Chief Magistrate since July 2014. He is a 1988 graduate of Habersham Central High School. He has been in law enforcement in Rabun County and has worked to improve the functioning of the Magistrate Court by utilizing technology in First Appearance, Bond, and Extradition Hearings. The primary change is that prisoners do not have to be transported to the courthouse now, but rather appear via video conferencing. He feels it is important to make efficient use of tax dollars by making the judical process in Habersham County efficient and understood by our citizens.
Souvanh “Sumo” Touralack is a 30 year resident of Habersham County. He has worked in law enforcement almost 20 years. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from North Georgia College and a Masters in Theology from Columbia Seminary. He sees the Magistrate Court as one of the lower courts, but one that is closest to the public. He has worked with the local Magistrate Court for seven years and has questions about security of video conferencing now used in Habersham County. He feels we need additional court sessions to speed up the judicial process in Habersham County.
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