The Court of Appeals of Georgia welcomes its newest judge to the bench, Judge J. Wade Padgett, who was sworn in today by Governor Brian Kemp.
“We are delighted to welcome Judge Padgett to the Court of Appeals,” said Chief Judge Amanda H. Mercier. “We all look forward to working with him, and his judicial work and leadership in countless programs and organizations will be a great asset to our court as we move toward the future.”
Judge Padgett has a long history of judicial service, starting with his appointment as as an Associate Magistrate Judge for Columbia County in 1995. He was elected as Chief Magistrate in 2005, and appointed to the Superior Court bench for the Augusta Judicial Circuit by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2009. In 2021, Judge Padgett became one of three judges to sit on the newly-formed Columbia Circuit Superior Court.
Judge Padgett earned his law degree from Georgia State University’s School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He served as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting violent crimes and led the team handling crimes against children. He then began his private practice, specializing in corporate operations, personal injury, criminal defense, domestic relations, probate and other areas of the law.
Judge Padgett was born in Atlanta but has spent most of his professional career in the Augusta area. He reformed and led the New Judge Orientation program for all new Superior Court judges in Georgia, served as president of the Council of Superior Court Judges, and received the Emory Findley Award to honor his service to the Council of Superior Court judges. Judge Padgett has led countless educational sessions for law students, lawyers, judges, and others. In 2017, he published his award-winning book, From Court in the Woods to Court in the Metropolis, A History of the Augusta Judicial Circuit. Beginning in 2018, Judge Padgett and Judge Tain Kell (ret.) have co-hosted The Good Judge-Ment Podcast, where they discuss topics on Georgia law. In 2023, the State Bar of Georgia’s Judicial Section awarded him and Judge Kell the Spirit of Justice Award, honoring their “unwavering commitment to and creation of a legacy of excellence in the judiciary.”
The judges of the Court of Appeals extend their congratulations and welcome to Judge Padgett.