New Supreme Court Judge Verda Colvin Named by Kemp

A judge from the Georgia Court of Appeals is moving up to the State Supreme Court.

Gov. Brian Kemp named Judge Verda Colvin to fill the vacancy left at the beginning of this month by Harold Melton. Melton stepped down as the State Supreme Court’s chief justice to enter private practice.

“It is an honor to appoint such an experienced and accomplished justice to our state’s Supreme Court,” Kemp said. “With Justice Colvin on the bench, Georgia’s highest court is gaining an immensely talented and principled judge who will help guide it in the years to come.”

Colvin has served on the Court of Appeals since being appointed by Kemp in April of last year. Before that, she served for six years as a Superior Court judge in the Macon Judicial Circuit.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Colvin was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Georgia. Before that, the native of Atlanta was an assistant prosecutor in Clayton County and assistant general counsel at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

After receiving a dual bachelor’s degree in government and religion from Sweet Briar College in Virginia, Colvin earned a law degree at the University of Georgia.

Melton stepped down from the state Supreme Court July 1 after serving for 16 years and leading Georgia’s judicial system through the disruption to normal court activities caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Presiding Justice David Nahmias was unanimously elected by his colleagues to succeed Melton as chief justice.