As part of our ongoing coverage of the 2020 Georgia Supreme Court election, we recently reached out to Judge Sara Doyle of the Georgia Court of Appeals to ask why she is running and what she would bring to the court.
The questions are in bold and followed immediately by Judge Doyle's responses, which are directly reproduced as they were given.
Why are you running to be a Georgia Supreme Court Justice?
I am in my 11th year as a Judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals where I have had the opportunity to become involved in the administration of justice for all classes of courts. After my term as Chief Judge ended on June 30, 2017, I evaluated my strengths and what I bring to the appellate bench and realized that I enjoyed working on the tougher legal issues as well as collaborative decision making, and wanted to continue my work helping to improve access to and the administration of justice among all classes of courts in the Georgia court system, something I can do more effectively as a member of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court also lacks gender diversity. There is currently one female justice on the nine member court (there have been only 4 women in its 174 year history). I feel that our Georgia courts need to be reflective of our communities and therefore it is important for females and minorities to run for these open positions.
What would you to say to the Georgia legal community about why you are the best choice?
I am the only candidate that has judicial experience and have only ever wanted a position on the courts. As an appellate judge, I have a proven track record of issuing decisions that are fair and impartial. When I ran in 2008, I told the legal community that I was smart, hard-working and could handle the large case load of the appellate courts. I lived up to my word and have built a career on the court that they know and can continue to trust.
What would you say to non-lawyers about Supreme Court elections and why they should vote for you?
First, Supreme Court elections are non-partisan and it is important that the citizens can trust the person they elect to be fair and impartial and issue decisions that will be the best for everyone who lives in this State, not just for one political party or the other. I am an appellate judge who has garnered a broad base of support over the past 11 years from Republicans and Democrats, individuals and business, and trial attorneys and the defense bar. I have a proven track record of being faithful to the law and issuing opinions that are clear, concise and fair. I love my job as a Judge on the appellate court and hope to continue to do it on the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Is there an opinion/concurrence/dissent you would point to as an example of what you would bring to the Georgia Supreme Court?
No. I have written well over 1200 opinions. My goal with each one has been to make the opinions clear and concise, follow the law and to be understandable by everyone who reads them. I would continue to take the same approach to opinion writing on the Supreme Court.
What would you say your time on the Court of Appeals has done to prepare you to be a Supreme Court Justice?
Besides the on-the-job experience writing opinions and managing an appellate court's large case load, Georgia appellate court judges are required to handle significant administrative duties overseeing the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts, access to justice, strategic planning, technology, dispute resolution, the State Bar of Georgia, attorney discipline, etc. As a Court of Appeals judge and its former Chief Judge, I have the experience necessary to jump into these administrative roles immediately. More importantly, I really enjoy this type of work and excel at it.
Are there life experiences outside of the law that influence your view of the law or the courts?
Everyone has different life experiences that shape who they are, but as a Judge my job is to interpret the laws. I do not let my personal beliefs cloud my approach to opinion writing. Rather I am charged with following the law and I do so.
How did your time in practice prepare you to be a judge or shape your thinking as a judge?
I worked at two firms before joining the appellate bench. The first was with a small, full service law firm where I did a little bit of everything. We represented individuals in personal injury matters, private educational institutions in day-to-day operations, defended worker's compensation claims for employers and handled car wreck litigation. I also drafted private placement memos for the issuance of private stock, worked on tax and real estate matters, and handled issues for various banks. In 2000, a group of attorneys from the small firm joined a national law firm of over 1000 attorneys. There I focused on working with private colleges and universities handling litigation and day-to-day operations, but also handled real estate litigation and tax matters. Both were a great training ground for my job on the bench because here in Georgia, our appellate courts handle all types of subject matters, both criminal and civil and I am well-versed in all of them.
How does one run in a judicial election? Are there special ethical rules and constraints? What does “campaigning” look like in this context?
Judicial elections in Georgia are non-partisan. Judges and candidates for judicial office are bound by the judicial ethics rules. Like most campaigns, Judges are allowed to solicit support and money donations from voters. But because there is a possibility for a Judge to be perceived as impartial or to have a conflict, most Judges running for office attempt to isolate themselves from the fundraising aspect of campaigning as much as possible by using fundraisers and the help of others rather than making direct solicitations.
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