Council Presents Award to Probate Judge Tony Thompson
Athens, GA — Candler Probate Court Judge Tony Thompson was presented with a Special Service Recognition award at the annual Council of Probate Court Judges Awards Ceremony on April 9th, 2014. The award was presented to Judge Thompson by the past president of the CPCJ Judge Mary Jo Buxton of Johnson County who noted that Judge Thompson has done an exemplary job serving his County and the Probate Judges Council.
“It was a special and humbling honor to be recognized by the Council and my peers. I credit my full-time clerk Brooke Boyette and substitute clerk Allette Brantley for helping our office run efficiently,” said Thompson. “For instance, Brooke recently scanned all of our marriage records for easy retrieval on the computer and Allette just completed a full inventory of all records in the vault,” he added.
Attorney General Sam Olens addressed the group of judges, clerks, and staff about the role of the Attorney General and how Attorney General Opinions are issued.
Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, Supreme Court of Georgia, also spoke at the Banquet and Awards Ceremony. Chief Justice Thompson was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1994 after serving as a superior court judge for 15 years.
Each year, the CPCJ Banquet and Awards Ceremony is attended by the state’s elected probate judges, associate probate judges, senior judges, clerks of the probate court, and staff of the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education and Administrative Office of the Courts. New officers are sworn in and various awards, including the Probate Judge of the Year, are distributed. Cook County Probate Judge Chase Daughtrey will serve as president of the Council this year. Evans County Probate Judge Darin McCoy returns as secretary. Judge Daughtrey was also given the Probate Judge of the Year award. Judge Tony Thompson of Candler County and Judge Susan Tate of Clarke County were given special recognition awards.
Mr. Olens was slated to swear in the 2014-2015 officers for the Council but deferred to Chief Justice Hugh Thompson saying “It is only proper that the Chief Justice perform this function.” His gracious deference was met with a round of applause from the Judges.
Judge Tony Thompson noted that it was also an honor to meet the Attorney General Sam Olens and particularly Georgia’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge Hugh Thompson. “Of course I had to ask Chief Justice Thompson about his lineage. Turns out he is descended from Reuben Thompson, the Revolutionary soldier and patriarch of many in this area. While our common ancestry was not positively determined, we agreed to claim kin as ‘cousins’!” added Thompson.
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Top photo: Candler County Probate Court Judge Tony Thompson receives a special recognition award from Past President of the Council of Probate Court Judges Judge Mary Jo Buxton of Johnson County. Bottom photo: Chief Justice Hugh Thompson of the Georgia Supreme Court with Judge Thompson, Spring 2014.