Atlanta, June 9, 2021 – On the first day the Supreme Court of Georgia held in-person oral arguments in more than a year, Chief Justice Harold D. Melton sat for the last time today on the bench of the Supreme Court of Georgia where he has served for 16 years. After 30 years of service to this state, including as an Assistant Attorney General and as Executive Counsel to the Governor, he will leave the Court at the end of the month.
In a heartfelt tribute, Presiding Justice David E. Nahmias, who becomes Chief Justice July 1, said no one has embodied more than Chief Justice Melton the qualities Socrates described nearly 2,500 years ago as essential for a judge: “To hear courteously; to answer wisely; to consider soberly; and to decide impartially.”
“Those qualities have been on display from the start of Chief Justice Melton’s work on this Court’s cases, which is what most people think about when they consider the work that we do. Chief Justice Melton is unfailingly courteous on the bench and in his other dealings with counsel and colleagues; his opinions reflect his wisdom and his ability to cut to the legal heart of cases with a heavy dose of common sense; he never, ever loses his cool; and he’s invariably impartial, doing justice ‘without respect to person’ and equally for the poor and the rich, just like he swore he would do when he became a judge.” But those qualities particularly have been on display during the last 15 months when Chief Justice Melton has been at the helm of leading the judiciary through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This has been a real crisis,” Presiding Justice Nahmias said, describing the pandemic as “the greatest crisis to face our judicial system in generations.” “And in a crisis, a lot of people get really riled up about all kinds of things. But Chief Justice Melton never did. In the course of many vigorous discussions over the past 15 months, I’ve never heard him raise his voice or express a cross word about anyone. He is always a calming presence. And he strived, and I think he has succeeded, in deciding many hard questions impartially, balancing as fairly as possible the often competing interests of people involved in all the different aspects of our justice system. He has led with a servant’s heart.”
“So Chief, we admire your judicial leadership, and I think Socrates would have admired you too,” Presiding Justice Nahmias said. On a personal note, Presiding Justice Nahmias talked about the many people who care for Chief Justice Melton as a person, including court staff and friends who were in the courtroom this morning. “Your decency, your humor, your loyalty, and your compassion have made you a friend to so many, starting with the eight of us sitting up here with you now but extending to all of the other Justices with whom you’ve served, the people who work in every office in this courthouse, and so many other people in every corner of this State.” He said they all hope to be able to see him occasionally after Chief Justice Melton leaves “to discuss family and sports and politics; to enjoy good food and marvel at how you can eat so much and still stay so skinny, maybe because it takes you longer than anyone to finish eating; and even to play some hoops and get schooled by your jump shot – you’ve still got it. We will miss you greatly as a colleague, but you will always be our friend.”
Presiding Justice Nahmias concluded his tribute, a bit choked up, as many in the courtroom wiped their eyes and gave a standing ovation to Chief Justice Melton.
In a very brief response, Chief Justice Melton said that “one of the greatest blessings is being able to work with people you admire, love, care about, who care about you, and make you better.” Speaking directly to court staff members and others gathered in the courtroom, he said, “it’s been a great journey and a great blessing and I hope I’ve made y’all as happy as you all have made me, so thank you.”