Black News reports that the magistrate court in Clayton County, Georgia has nine Black judges, eight of them are women and all of them are Black. According to this report, it is the first time in the county’s history the court’s entire bench has been all-Black.
The court’s Chief Judge Keisha Wright Hill was assigned to choose the judges for the court. Chief Judge Hill says race was not a factor in selecting these judges to the court, but their ability and objectivity.
“There were numerous applicants, and I chose the best. And this is what we have,” Hill said in an interview with WSB-TV. “They are phenomenal. They’re [the judges] hardworking, and they are fair.”
The new judges plan to serve the minority-majority area more effectively and fairly than was the case in the past.
“I think we will be able to better serve the community that has evolved over time,” Judge Onyema Farrey said.
Judge Latrevia Kates-Johnson added, “I think that our community has not been fairly represented. And I think that is one of the things we set out to do.”
More importantly, the judges want they to keep the community safe.
“I love this county, so I’m going to do everything that I can to make sure that it stays safe,” said Chief Judge Hill.
