Pat Donahue, Coastal Courier.

HINESVILLE - In its nearly 130 years of existence, the Atlantic Judicial Circuit has had only 20 judges.

Its two newest judges were welcomed to the bench Wednesday afternoon at the Liberty County Justice Center, with Chief Judge Paul Rose praising Billy Joe Nelson and Brad Dixon. Nelson and Dixon were sworn in as judges August 17 by Gov. Brian Kemp.

“So they know everything by now,” Judge Rose quipped. “They have been thrown into the fire.”

Judge Rose said both Judge Nelson, the 19th judge in the history of the circuit and Judge Dixon, its 20th, have the qualities to make them successful on the bench.

“What makes them uniquely qualified to be judges is they are truly gentlemen,” he said. “They are bright, they are calm, they are even-tempered, they are patient. They are fair and compassionate. I think they will be fair and compassionate in their rulings and they have the character to do the right thing when the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing to do.”

Judge Rose, now in his 26th year on the bench, recalled replacing Judge John Harvey, in front of whom he tried a multitude of cases as an attorney, and the advice the longtime jurist gave him.

“One of the things Judge Harvey told me is when you go to the court, that’s just one day of work for you,” Rose said. “But those who appear before you, it might be the most important day of our lives. It was great advice then and it’s great advice now.”

Judge Nelson, who had been district attorney for the circuit before being appointed to the bench credited Judge Robert Russell – whose seat he took – for getting his law career started. Russell retired after 31 years on the bench.

Nelson, a McIntosh County native, recalled being a junior in college and at home during a break. A business major at the time, Nelson acknowledged he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life after graduation.

Judge Russell encouraged him to go to law school. After law school, Nelson was clerking for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit superior court judges, but his clerkship was almost up. Judge Russell asked him what his plans were, and Nelson said he was being encouraged to go to a district attorney’s office.

Judge Russell called Atlantic Judicial Circuit DA Tom Durden and left him a message to call him about Nelson.

“He said, ‘You need to come back to the Atlantic Circuit. This is where you need to be,’” Nelson said.

“And the rest is history.

So it’s a little bit of a full circle moment. I think it’s fitting I went into Judge Russell’s seat.” Nelson said there is a lot of work to be done, and he looks forward to his time on the bench.

“As a prosecutor in this circuit, I’ve tried to do my job in a way where I treated people with respect, fairness, kindness and I think that’s something that’s important in this world,” he said.

Nelson thanked his family, especially his parents, for their support in his career. Both new judges had family, friends, sheriffs from across the circuit, attorneys and even judges from other judicial circuits in attendance.

“It just means a lot to have so much support from so many people who have been instrumental in life, and that’s personal and professional,” Nelson said.

Dixon, who lives in Bryan County, also thanked the judges’ staff for putting the event together, and he expressed his gratitude for the support of his family.

Judge Dixon also reflected on being in a courthouse in the circuit and asking a sheriff’s deputy if he could enter a room. The deputy told him, “Judge, it’s your building – you can go anywhere you want,” Dixon said.

“I said, ‘this isn’t my building,’” Dixon replied.

“To me, every time I put that robe on and step on the bench, that’s a reminder that this isn’t an ego thing but that I am here to serve. As a lawyer, I practiced law. Judges don’t practice law, they serve. The thing guiding me as I go forward is my job to serve the public.”

The circuit’s first judge was Ralph Seabrook, who took office in 1897 and served the six counties for 13 years. The circuit had just one superior court judge until the 1970s, when another judge was added. It now has five judges, Judge Jay Stewart and Judge Mark Hendrix as the other current sitting judges. David Cavender, a judge emeritus who was at Wednesday’s event, was on the bench for 33 years, longer than anyone else.

“We historically have had a very good circuit,” Judge Rose said. “Our circuit has enjoyed a good reputation, one that welcomes people from other jurisdictions. It’s a place where we treat people with dignity and respect.”

Pat Donahue is the Editor and General Manager of the Coastal Courier.