Cobb County has a new Circuit Defender, Scott Halperin

Scott Halperin has been selected unanimously by Cobb’s Superior Court judges, in consultation with the chief judges of the county’s Magistrate, State, and Juvenile Courts, to serve as Cobb County’s new Circuit Defender. 

In this role, Halperin will oversee the county’s indigent defense program. Halperin succeeds Randall Harris who retired after leading the office for 18 years. Halperin’s appointment was announced by Superior Court Administrator Christopher Hansard last week.

Halperin was working in the Cobb Juvenile Court as a courtroom advocate for defendants.  He previously worked for Legal Aid and as a public defender for multiple jurisdictions around metro Atlanta. Halperin holds a law degree from Georgia State University.

In a news release, Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard said, “Scott has spent his entire career serving the indigent and most vulnerable in our community. He has a heart for serving the indigent. He also has the respect of the bar and the bench, and he understands the importance of maintaining the independence of the office,”.