Grant Application for Publishing of Court of Appeals of Georgia Court History Book

Purpose of Grant Request: To fund publishing by Mercer University Press of a full color book telling the history of the Court of Appeals of Georgia over its first hundred years, 1906-2006. This is a project aimed to educate the public about the function and history of one of the only two appellate courts in the state judicial system.

Applicant: The applicant Justice Served Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation which was organized in 2006. A list of the Directors and Officers of Justice Served, Inc. is attached to this application. The goals of the organization are: (1) to assist the Court of Appeals of Georgia to celebrate its one hundred years of service to the state of Georgia and (2) to develop programs and activities to enhance the knowledge of the citizens of the State of Georgia as to the duties and responsibilities of all the courts in the state thereby, promoting an understanding and respect for the institution of the courts and the judges who serve therein.

In 2006, Justice Served, Inc. assisted the Court of Appeals in its celebration of its hundredth anniversary by funding the scholarships awarded to the winners of an oratorical contest held at the State Bar headquarters in Atlanta for high school students from the throughout the state. Justice Served, through donations and ticket sales, also funded a dinner honoring the Court.

Program: The Court in cooperation with Justice Served, Inc. has enlisted the aid of four historians: two professors at the Mercer University Law School (Suzanne Cassidy, Professor and Director of the Law Library and James Fleissner, Professor) and two attorneys (Robert Tanner and Charles Adams, Jr.) to author chapters in the book to cover four time periods from 1906-2006. The authors have contributed their services on a complimentary basis.

Ms Cassidy teaches legal research and has published a number of articles and a Guide to Georgia Legal Research and Legal History (with Leah F. Chanin): Harrison, 1990 and a 1997 supplement. She has served as a member of the Law School's Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Dean's Council on the Law School Community. Ms. Cassidy has a B. A. from the University of Georgia, a J.D. from Mercer Law School and an M.S. degree from Florida State University.

Mr. Fleissner has authored an extensive number of articles related to criminal law and procedure. He has also written about the life of Senator Walter F. George. One article was published in the Journal of Southern Legal History in 2001 and another is pending publication at Mercer University Press. Before joining the Mercer Law School faculty, Mr. Fleissner worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago. As well as teaching criminal law and procedure, Mr. Fleissner has taught other subjects such as trial practice, evidence, and legal analysis. He has served on several committees at Mercer including the Law School Curriculum Committee, has been a visiting professor at other law schools, has testified before the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Hours of Representatives and has provided commentary on television news shows such as the "Newshour with Jim Lehrer. He has a B. A. from Marquette University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Mr. Tanner is a partner in the firm of Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn and Dial, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia where his practice focuses on civil litigation and administrative proceedings. He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the Wake Forest Law School. He authored Stonewall in the Valley: Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Spring 1862, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1996.

Mr. Charles Adams, Jr. is a partner inthe firm of Adams & Adams, LLP in Fort Valley, Georgia. He has a A. B. and L.L.B. from the University of Georgia. He has had an interest in history, particularly of the Civil War period, since boyhood. He edited and published the war letters of his great grandparents in a book entitled A Post of Honor in 1989. He has also traced every major campaign of the Twelfth Georgia Regiment in preparation for writing a regimental history. He authored a history of Fitzgerald, Georgia and its high school football program from 1915-48. In 1948 he was the manager of the Fitzgerald football team which was the state champion that year.

The fifth and final chapter of the book contains information about the centennial celebration and was written by a member of the Court of Appeals staff.

All the chapters of the book have been drafted. Enclosed you will find a copy of Chapter 3 from the book as an illustration of the content. Also, you will find a copy of a sample layout for a page of Chapter 5 as an example of how Justice Served expects the book to look. The modern layout and full color printing of the book is intended to enhance interest in the book. Should the Foundation want to review the other Chapters of the book that can be arranged. It is expected that the book will contain about 200 pages with an equal number of historical photographs.

The book's chapters profile the judges of the court, provide information on the creation and change in the court as an institution, focus on some of the controversies in the cases before the court during each time frame, and tie this information to the social and economic changes in the state.

If this grant application is approved, Justice Served will provide copies of the book to high schools and public libraries throughout the state and to certain members of the legal community who supported the Centennial celebration and who indicate they would like a copy. The Court of Appeals has already produced a DVD on the history of the Court of which 7 copies are enclosed. The book is intended to be a companion to the DVD and to provide a more in-depth history of the Court. The DVD is also being distributed to schools around the state.

Budget and Strategy for Completion of the Program:

Mercer University Press has agreed to publish the book given the following general specifications for $32,000. Please see the attached email from Mercer University Press and Specifications:
Full color, 9" x 12", hardback binding, very good quality paper, paper dust cover, 2500 copies. Approximately 200 photos and images; approximately 200 pages. $3000-5000 for permissions to use photos or document scans.

A meeting with Mercer University Press will take place shortly to determine a schedule for finalization of the manuscript and publishing tasks. It is our understanding that publishing will require several months. A detailed budget should be available for submission to you after our arrangement with Mercer University Press is finalized.

Justice Served, Inc. will provide the funds to distribute the book once it has been published. There is no other secured funding for the program.