Atlanta, August 7, 2023 – The judges of the Court of Appeals of Georgia have unanimously voted to designate Senior Judge C. Andrew Fuller to temporarily assist the court beginning August 7, 2023, as Senior Appellate Judge Herbert Phipps steps back from the bench to deal with some health challenges.
“We thank Senior Judge Fuller for his willingness to continue his heralded career in public service with our Court, and we know that his contributions will be invaluable,” said Chief Judge Amanda Mercier.
Senior Judge Fuller was appointed to serve on the superior court bench of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, which includes Dawson and Hall counties, by then-Governor Zell Miller in July 1993. He was reelected without opposition for multiple consecutive terms, and retired after his last term ended on December 31, 2022.
Before taking the bench, Senior Judge Fuller was elected to serve as the District Attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit from January 1987 until his appointment to the bench in 1993. He presided over the Hall County Re-entry Accountability Court Transition program, which provided non-violent offenders with substance abuse treatment and vocational training. He served as Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and as a member of both the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution and the Advisory Board of the Georgia Indigent Defense Council.
Senior Judge Fuller is a lifelong resident of Gainesville, Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in political science. He earned his law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 1980, and worked as an attorney in private practice until he ran for district attorney.
The judges of the Court of Appeals extend their warmest welcome to Senior Judge Fuller, and their gratitude to Senior Judge Phipps.