Court of Appeals Centennial Celebration 2006 - Calendar of Events

January 24, 2006 - A Proclamation Ceremony was held in the State Capitol Rotunda. Chief Judge John H. Ruffin, Jr. welcomed a crowd of judges, legislators, court employees and the public. An invocation was given by Judge Herbert E. Phipps and Presiding Judge J. D. Smith gave a short PowerPoint history of the Court from 1906 2006. Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed 2006 the Court of Appeals Centennial Year and recognized the Court's role of ensuring that "Georgians received fair treatment in the trial courts and in the final resolutions of disputes. Proclamations were also presented by Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor and Speaker of the House, Glenn Richardson.

March through September, 2006 - Oral arguments were held by the Court in various locations throughout the State in order to make the Court's operation more accessible to students and the public.

March 23, 2006	Richmond County Courthouse, Augusta

March 27, 2006	Georgia State Law School, Atlanta

April 20, 2006	Historic City Hall, Savannah

May 24, 2006	Jackson County Courthouse, Jefferson

September 6, 2006	Chickamauga Civic Auditorium, Walker County

September 8, 2006	Bulloch County Courthouse, Statesboro

September 14, 2006	Wayne County Courthouse, Jesup

September 20, 2006	Peach County Courthouse, Fort Valley

September 21, 2006	Mercer University Law School, Macon

September 27, 2006	Hall County Courthouse, Gainesville

September 29, 2006	Morehouse College, Atlanta

June 1, 2006 - The Court of Appeals Centennial Committee sponsored a panel discussion for continuing legal education credit at the State Bar Annual Meeting entitled "Separation of Church and State". The program included remarks and discussion by Chief Judge John H. Ruffin, Jr. and Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia; A. James Elliott and John Witte, Jr. of the Emory University School of Law; Angie Wright-Rheaves, Court of Appeals; Jeffrey O. Bramlett, Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, LLP, Atlanta; Vernadette Ramirez Broyles, Alpharetta; Albert M. Pearson, III, Moraitakis, Kushel, Pearson and Gardner,LLP, Atlanta.

June 3, 2006 - The State Bar Board of Governors presented to the Court a resolution in recognition of the Court's Centennial.

September 9, 2006 - The Court of Appeals sponsored a statewide high school oratorical contest on the subject of "The Separation of Powers and the Judicial Branch of Government." The finals were held at the State Bar Center in Atlanta. Judges of the final round were Justice George H. Carley, Supreme Court of Georgia; Chief Judge John H. Ruffin, Jr., Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes, and Judge M. Yvette Miller of the Court of Appeals of Georgia; and Judge Sidney L. Nation, Judge of the Superior Court of the Rockdale Judicial Circuit. The first place winner was Mr. Caleb Smith of Cartersville High School, Cartersville, whose oration was titled "The Judicial Branch: Guardian of the Constitution." Second place was awarded to Patrick Berg from Deerfield-Windsor School in Albany, third place- Molly Holmes, Savannah Country Day School, Savannah, and four place - Marie Agnello, Brookwood High School, Snellville. Scholarships to the first through fourth and quarter-finalists were provided by Justice Served, Inc. a charitable foundation. Ms. Jill Pryor, partner with the law firm of Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, LLP was the Chair for the contest and was ably assisted by Ms. Roberta, Earnhardt, Assistant District Attorney, Rockdale Judicial Circuit, and other volunteers.

August -November, 2006 - Mini-seminars on the subject of judicial independence were presented at a number of law firms by Court of Appeals judges.

May 25, 2006	Fellows, Johnson and LaBriola, LLP

June 29, 2006	Hunton and Williams

August 22, 2006	Appellate Practice Section at the State Bar Center

August 31, 2006	Nelson, Mullins, Riley and Scarborough, LLP

November 2, 2006	Powell Goldstein, LLP

October 6, 2006 - Justice Served, Inc. sponsored a Centennial Dinner in honor of the Court at the Georgia Aquarium. The scholarship award to the winner of the high school oratorical contest was made, and Caleb Smith presented his speech to the more than 900 attendees. Judge William R. Wilson, Jr., United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, gave the keynote speech. A Century of Serving Justice, a court history video produced by Bob McAteer of the Court of Appeals of Georgia Information Technology Department with a grant from the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation was premiered at the dinner. The video is being used to educate students, the public, and visitors to the Court about the purpose and history of the Court.

The Court is especially indebted to Senior Judge Marion T. Pope, Jr. of the Court of Appeals of Georgia and Lendon Gibbs, Secretary-Treasurer of Justice Served, Inc. for contributing their labor to the success of the Centennial Celebration. In addition, the Court expresses its gratitude to all the members of the Board of Directors of Justice Served, Inc. for support of the Centennial Events.

Board of Directors of Justice Served, Inc.

Honorable Marion T. Pope, Jr. Chairman

Hasty, Pope & Ball

Canton, Georgia

Mr. James H. Miller, III

Vice Chairman

Georgia Power Company

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Lendon Gibbs

Secretary-Treasurer

Royston, Georgia

Mr. Robert M. Brinson

Brinson, Askew, Berry Seigler, Richardson & Davis, LLP

Rome, Georgia

Mr. John J. Dalton

Troutman Sanders, LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

Ms. Dorothy Kirkley

Kirkley & Hawker, LLC

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Paul W. Painter, Jr.

Ellis, Painter, Ratterree & Adams, LLP

Savannah, Georgia

Mr. W. Ray Persons

King & Spaulding, LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Hugh Peterson, III

McNatt, Greene & Peterson

Vidalia, Georgia

Mr. R. Lindsey Thomas

AGL Resources

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Joel Wooten, Jr.

Butler, Wooten, & Fryhofer, LLP

Columbus, Georgia