Attorney for group that challenged the appointments of Brian Rickman, Amanda Mercier and Nels Peterson says he’ll appeal.
A Fulton County judge today ruled that Governor Nathan Deal’s three new appointments to the Georgia Court of Appeals are constitutional.
According to the Daily Report, Superior Court Judge John Goger also upheld as constitutional a state law increasing the number of appeals court judges from 12 to 15.
Goger issued his ruling Thursday, three days after hearing arguments in a lawsuit challenging the governor’s authority to appoint the new judges. Atlanta Attorney Wayne Kendall argued on behalf of the petitioners that the State Constitution requires the judicial seats to be filled by election.
Kendall filed suit on behalf of three attorneys, a former Macon city commissioner and a Douglasville minister. He said a lack of minority appointments by the Deal administration prompted the lawsuit. All three Court of Appeals appointees are white.
Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brian Rickman, Appalachian Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Amanda Mercier and Board of Regents Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs Nels Peterson were appointed by Deal from among more than 100 applicants statewide.
They’re slated to take office on January 1st.
