Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Solicitor plans run for superior court judge By JOHN MUNFORD jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com Fayette County's state court solicitor plans to run for a superior court judgeship in two years. Steve Harris, who has been Fayette's first and only solicitor for seven years, wants to run for the seat currently occupied by Tommy Hankinson, who was appointed last year by then-Gov. Roy Barnes to replace retiring Superior Court Judge Ben J. Miller Jr. Harris was one of the applicants for the appointment, but he felt the appointment of Hankinson was an example of "cronyism". Only one thing might change Harris's mind about running for a judgeship: if Fayette was segregated into its own judicial circuit. [See accompanying story.] Currently, Fayette shares four judges in the Griffin Judicial Circuit, comprising Fayette, Spalding, Pike and Upson counties. Three of the four judges live in Upson County: Hankinson, Paschal English and Johnnie Caldwell. Judge Chris Edwards lives in south Fayette. Harris said he has made no formal announcement of his candidacy nor has he put together a campaign committee. But he is serious about seeking the office. "We've got a good system that works well here (at state court)," Harris said. "I've accomplished everything I can here. There's not much left to be done." What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor. Back to the News Home Page| Back to the top of the page