Atlanta, May 16, 2018– Superior Court Judge Sheryl B. Jolly of the Augusta Judicial Circuit has been designated to serve in place of Justice Britt C. Grant in the case of Georgia Ports Authority v. Lawyer (S17G1951). The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the case on May 22 during its 10:00 A.M. session. In this case, the Ports Authority is appealing a Georgia Court of Appeals ruling that it is not immune from a lawsuit brought by a man injured on a ship who was awarded $4.5 million in damages. In addition to hearing arguments, Judge Jolly will participate in the Court’s decision.
Judge Jolly, 58, was elected in 2004 to the Superior Court of the Augusta Judicial Circuit, which serves Burke, Columbia, and Richmond counties. She was the first woman elected to the Augusta Superior Court. Prior to her election to the bench, Judge Jolly served two terms as the Solicitor General of Richmond County from 1996-2004. She began her legal career as a prosecutor in Augusta, serving as an Assistant District Attorney from 1986-1989. From 1989-1994, she served as an Assistant Solicitor General and was Chief Assistant Solicitor General from 1994-1996.
Judge Jolly graduated from Georgia College (now Georgia College and State University) in 1980 with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration. She obtained her Juris Doctorate of Law from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 1983.
A 2000 class graduate of Leadership Augusta, Judge Jolly served as Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Leadership Augusta Advisory Council of Past Chairs. Judge Jolly was honored with the Leadership Service Award in 2017. She is a 25-year member of the Augusta Junior Woman’s Club. Judge Jolly is active in many community organizations, serving as Executive Vice President of the Greater Augusta Arts Council and as a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Augusta Partnership for Children. She previously served as Board Chair for Child Advocacy and Rape Crisis & Sexual Assault Services. Judge Jolly frequently lectures at Family Law educational programs and provides death penalty case training for Georgia judges.
Judge Jolly is married to Edward B. Turner, Jr. and has three adult 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 select judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list.)