February/March 2026 | maconmagazine.com 49
Macon felt like what Atlanta felt like
when I was growing up; big enough
where you didn't necessarily know
everybody, but small enough where it
really felt like it was community. Atlanta
has expanded so much it's not that way
anymore. This ended up feeling like
home. I embraced it. I love it, and it's
worth the commute. I commute back
and forth from Macon to Atlanta [now]
because this community matters to me,
and I think it's important for me to stay in
my community.
How would you describe yourself
to someone who just knows you
as the judge?
I'm just a regular person. Sometimes
people will meet me, and they'll find out
that I'm a judge they'll say, "You don't
even act like a judge." Thank you so
much, that's the best compliment you
can give me. I like to have fun. I mess up
in life. I don't get everything right. But
I'm constantly trying to be better and do
better. I've got friends that I hang with. I
hang with my daughter; I hang with my
son. I don't have airs. To me, everybody is
the same. We all have a job to do, and no
job is greater than the other.
How do you balance responsibility
and compassion for those who
find themselves before you in a
courtroom?
I empathize with people, and I meet them
where they are, and I recognize but for the
grace of God, there goes all of us. Even
when I took the bench, I told people —
because I saw the prosecutors were a little
