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Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Melton to Step Down

Alyssa Pointer via AJC

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced Friday that he is stepping down on July 1, in the middle of his term. Melton said in a statement that he doesn’t yet know what he’ll do next, but that he is exploring opportunities “for the next season of life that will allow me to best serve our legal community and my extended family.” Melton was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2005 by former Gov. Sonny Perdue. He became chief justice in 2018. He's currently the only Black justice on the Georgia Supreme Court. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a replacement.