Presiding Justice George H. Carley of Decatur was born in Jackson, Mississippi on September 24, 1938 to George L. Carley, Jr. and Dorothy Holmes Carley. He moved to Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia in 1948. He graduated from Decatur High School in 1956 and received his A.B. degree from the University of Georgia in 1960. He also received his LL.B. degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1962. While at UGA, Carley was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity and was an Associate Justice of the Law School Honor Court. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1956 to 1960 (active duty 1956).
After being admitted to the Bar in 1961, Carley practiced law briefly in Atlanta. From 1963 until his appointment to the bench, Carley engaged in the private practice of law in Decatur. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1966. He was partner in charge of litigation with the Decatur firm of McCurdy & Candler 1971-1979. He was the attorney for the Housing Authority of the City of Decatur. He served as a Special Assistant Attorney General handling Eminent Domain cases for the DOT. Carley was appointed to the Court of Appeals of Georgia by Governor George D. Busbee on April 5, 1979, and was elected to a full six-year term in 1980. He was reelected at the 1986 and 1992 General Elections. He served as Chief Judge 1989-1990 and was a Presiding Judge 1991-1993. On March 16, 1993, Governor Zell Miller appointed him to the Supreme Court of Georgia. He was elected to a six-year term in 1994 and reelected at the 2000 and 2006 General Elections. Governor Miller also sworn him in as Presiding Justice on July 1, 2009.
Justice Carley is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, the Old Warhorse Lawyers Club (President 1997) and the Joseph Henry Lumpkin American Inn of Court (President 1993-1995) and Gridiron. He is a member of the University of Georgia Law School Association Council. He previously served on the Council from 1986 to 1991 (President 1989-1990). He was a member of the Law School's Board of Visitors from 1993 to 1996 (Chairman 1995-1996) and from 2001 to 2004. He is a Trustee of the Georgia Legal History Foundation, Inc. and was a member of the Judicial Council from January1,1987 to December 31, 1990. On July 1, 2009, he again became a member of the Judicial Council by virtue of his position as Presiding Justice. Carley was a member of the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution 1993-2001. He was Chairman of the Georgia Law Related Education Consortium (1994-1995). Since 1988, he has been actively involved with the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial Championship, Inc. He is a member of Pythagoras Lodge No. 41, F.&A.M. and of the Atlanta Consistory of the Scottish Rite. He is a former member of and past Exalted Ruler of Decatur Lodge 1602 B.P.O.E. He served on the Board of Directors of Decatur Federal Savings & Loan Association from 1986 to 1993. He is a member of the Decatur Rotary Club. He married Sandra M. Lineberger of Macon in 1960, and they have one son, George H. Carley, Jr., daughter-in-law, Lisa Carley and two grandsons, George Matthew Carley and Alex William Carley, all of Grayson. Justice and Mrs. Carley are members of St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Dunwoody.
Presiding Justice George H. Carley