2005 – 2010
Judge Debra Bernes was the daughter of Alvin and Sherry Halpern. After graduating from Atlanta’s Henry Grady High School in 1973, Judge Bernes entered the University of Florida, where in 1976, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education with high honors. Judge Bernes earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 1978.
In 1979, after becoming a member of the Georgia bar, Judge Bernes began a 20 year career as an assistant district attorney for the Cobb Judicial Circuit where she concentrated in felony prosecutions and appellate law. During her tenure as an assistant district attorney, she regularly appeared before the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals, arguing several cases of first impression.
In 2000, Judge Bernes entered private practice where she handled a wide variety of civil and criminal matters at the trial and appellate levels. Prior to assuming office, Judges Bernes had authored over 400 appellate briefs and argued over 60 cases in Georgia state and federal appellate courts. Judge Debra Halpern Bernes was elected to a seat on the Court of Appeals of Georgia in November 2004 and took office on January 1, 2005.
Throughout her career, Judge Bernes dedicated herself to serving a wide array of professional organizations. She served as President of the Cobb County Bar Association and as Secretary of the Appellate Section of the State Bar of Georgia. She was a Fellow of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia, and was a member of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, the Cobb Justice Foundation, and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. She was a Master of both the Lamar and Bleckley Inns of Court.
Judge Bernes served on the Georgia Child Support Commission, the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, and the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Marriage, Children and Family Law. She also served as Chair of the Georgia Law-Related Education Consortium.
As part of her professional commitments, Judge Bernes played active roles in teaching and lecturing on a host of legal topics, including criminal law and appellate practice. She served as an instructor for the North Georgia Police Academy, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia, and the National District Attorney’s Association. She was also active in continuing legal education, having served as co-chair of several appellate advocacy seminars and Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee for the Cobb County Bar Association.
In addition to her professional service, Judge Bernes volunteered her time and energy to a broad spectrum of civic and charitable organizations. In 2004, the Y.W.C.A. of Northwest Georgia recognized her as a Woman of Achievement. She served as Chair of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Public Safety Committee and on the boards of the Jewish Educational Loan Fund and the William Bremen Jewish Home.
Judge Bernes was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta and was awarded the club’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997. She was also a former member of the Cobb 2000 Commission, the Cobb-Marietta Junior League, the East Cobb Jaycees, the Willow Point Service League and the Erwin Zaban Leadership Development Program.
Judge Bernes passed away on July 20, 2010. In 2010, the Kiwanis Club of Marietta erected a marker honoring Judge Debra Bernes inscribed with the message:
Judge Debra Halpern Bernes was a loving and devoted wife and mother to her husband, Gary, and children, Lane and Matthew. She served her community as an Assistant District Attorney for Cobb County, a solo practitioner of law and as an elected judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals, a position she held from 2005. Judge Bernes was a proud member of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta, a past president of the Cobb County Bar Association, and a committed supporter of the Jewish Educational Loan Fund. Her infectious smile and laughter and her legacy of service to others had a positive effect on those around her and made an everlasting impact on this community.
“Dedicated and Devoted Wife, Mother and Public Servant”