Atlanta, Sept. 27, 2017 – Chief Judge B. Chan Caudell of the Mountain Judicial Circuit has been designated to serve in place of Justice Michael P. Boggs in the appeal of Taylor v. The State (S17G0501). The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the case on Oct. 3, 2017 during its 2:00 P.M. session. In this case, a Gwinnett County man convicted of sexually molesting 16 children is appealing his convictions on the ground that the search warrant used to collect evidence from his computer was invalid. In addition to hearing arguments, Chief Judge Caudell will participate in the Court’s decision.
Chief Judge Caudell, 50, was appointed as a Superior Court Judge for the Mountain Judicial Circuit in 2011 by Gov. Nathan Deal. The Mountain Judicial Circuit includes Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens counties. Chief Judge Caudell has been reelected twice. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was in private practice for 19 years. Most recently, he practiced law in Cornelia, GA from 1999-2011 at Caudell & Hotard, LLC, a firm he co-founded.
Chief Judge Caudell is a native of Baldwin, GA and graduated from Habersham Central High School. He earned an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia and a law degree from Mercer University.
In addition to his regular duties, Chief Judge Caudell presides over three accountability courts: Felony Adult Drug Court, a Day Reporting Center, and a Parental Accountability Court. He is a past member of the State Ethics Commission and has served as a Habersham County Commissioner. He currently serves as a vice-chair of Georgia’s Technical College Directors Association and is on the Board of Directors for the North Georgia Technical College.
Chief Judge Caudell and his wife, Tammy, have a daughter and son.
(Designated judges are appointed when a justice must recuse himself or herself from a particular case. The Supreme Court of Georgia maintains a list of select judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list.)