Atlanta, Feb. 8, 2017 – Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Brian M. Rickman has been designated to serve in place of Justice Britt Grant in the appeal of The Merchant Law Firm, P.C. v. Emerson, Judge et al. The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the case on Feb. 13, 2017 during its 10:00 A.M. session. The appeal in this case stems from a lawsuit filed against a Douglas County judge by a defense attorney who argued she was entitled to audio recordings made by a court reporter during open court proceedings. In addition to hearing arguments in the case, Judge Rickman will participate in the Court’s decision.

Judge Rickman, 39, graduated cum laude from Piedmont College in 1998. He then attended the University of Georgia School of Law where he was a member of the Mock Trial Board and involved in the Prosecutorial Clinic. After graduating from law school in 2001, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit (Newton and Walton counties) and, subsequently, the Mountain Judicial Circuit (Habersham, Rabun and Stephens counties). In 2004, he became a partner at the firm of Stockton & Rickman. He was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to serve as the District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit in 2008.

Judge Rickman was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals by Gov. Nathan Deal in November 2015 and assumed office Jan. 1, 2016. He is a member of the Piedmont College Board of Trustees. As an adjunct professor at Piedmont College, he has taught several courses, including American Government, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Courts and Society. In 2008, he received the Piedmont College Alumni Association’s Pacesetter Award. He was named among the “40 under 40” by the Fulton Daily Report in 2013.

Judge Rickman is married to Maggie and has two children.

(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 judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list.)