Former Dougherty County DA Ken Hodges to run for Georgia Court of Appeals

ALBANY — Ken Hodges, a private attorney and former prosecutor, announced Wednesday that he will run for an open seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals during the 2018 election cycle.

Hodges, the formerly district attorney for the Dougherty Judicial Circuit and current treasurer for the State Bar of Georgia, has more than 25 years of courtroom experience, which he said will serve him well as an appellate court judge.

“I think that we need judges on the appellate court who have a broad base of experience in trial courts and I have that,” Hodges said. “For the last 25 years I have been both a prosecutor, a defense lawyer and a civil attorney on both sides; plaintiff and defense.

“I have represented individuals and small companies all over Georgia. I’ve got most of my practice in Albany and Atlanta, but also have cases in Statesboro, Columbus, Macon and other places throughout the state. This is a great opportunity to continue my service to the state.”

The Georgia Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Georgia. It was established in 1906 and has 15 judges who serve in five divisions.

The Court of Appeals has statewide appellate jurisdiction of all cases except those involving constitutional questions, land title disputes, the construction of wills, murder, election contests, habeas corpus, extraordinary remedies, divorce and alimony and cases where original appellate jurisdiction lies with the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals also may certify legal questions to the Supreme Court.

As an appellate judge, Hodges said he would bring an unbiased and impartial approach to the bench to ensure the law is enforced fairly and consistently.

“The decisions made on the Court of Appeals greatly affect the lives of Georgians and their families in every single community of our state,” Hodges said. “The people of Georgia deserve fair judges who bring a diverse and broad range of experience to the bench.

“That’s exactly what I’ve done throughout my legal career representing Georgia families and businesses, and that’s exactly why I’m running to serve on the Georgia Court of Appeals.”

Hodges’ campaign is chaired by former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, of Moultrie, who now practices law with DLA Piper, and the campaign’s treasurer is the Edward Johnson, former chief judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Hodges lives in Albany with his wife, Melissa, and their two children.