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Athens Superior Court Selections

Athens-Clarke County Public Information Office

Lawton E. Stephens, H. Patrick Haggard, and Eric W. Norris, Judges of the Western Judicial Circuit, announce that Judge H. Patrick Haggard has been selected as Chief Judge of the Western Circuit effective August 1, 2017. The Western Circuit is comprised of Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties. He replaces Judge David Sweat who retired from the position July 31st. Sweat will continue as a senior judge in Georgia’s Superior Courts. Judge H. Patrick Haggard was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 2011 by Governor Nathan Deal. In 2013, he created the Veterans court, which integrates alcohol/drug/and or mental health treatment specific to veterans, along with case management, similar to other accountability courts.

The judges also announced that Judge Eric Norris will preside over Athens-Clarke County’s the Mental-Health Court, commonly known as the Treatment and Accountability Court. It was created in 2008 to ensure that offenders with serious mental illness, often with co-occurring substance abuse disorders, be given the opportunity to take responsibility for their criminal conduct while receiving intensive treatment.

Credit Athens-Clarke County Public Information Office
Judge Eric W. Norris

In addition to Treatment and Accountability Court, the Western Judicial Circuit has Felony Drug Court, DUI/Drug Court, and Family Dependency Treatment Court.