Cherokee Superior Court Judge Won't Seek Re-Election

CANTON, GA — Cherokee County's Chief Superior Court judge has announced he will not be seeking re-election this year. Chief Judge Jackson Harris exclusively told Patch that he will retire at the end of 2018.

Harris, who sat down with Patch Wednesday afternoon in his office at the Cherokee County Justice Center, said he felt it was time to focus on traveling, visiting the country's National Parks and spending time with his children.

Harris came into the courtship when he was appointed on Jan. 1, 1997, as a juvenile court judge in Cherokee County. When the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit was narrowed down to only include Cherokee, Harris provided judicial assistance to the State and Superior courts by presiding over felony and misdemeanor jury trials and civil and criminal non-jury trials. In 2001, he was appointed as a judge to the Superior Court following the death of Judge Michael Roach. He was elected to that position in 2002, and re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

He became the Chief Superior Court Judge in 2013 when Judge Frank C. Mills III retired. Other Superior Court judges in Cherokee County are Ellen McElyea and David Cannon Jr.

"I knew I would be coming up for re-election this year, so I've been pondering the decision," Judge Harris said when asked why he chose to step aside. "I guess it just came together recently...that this is probably a better path for me. I've enjoyed my time here."

When he looks back over his career, Harris said no specific case come to mind. He believes his role in providing people experiencing tough situations the opportunity to make their lives better has a more lasting impact on the community.

"Everybody who comes to court is here because they really don't want to be and I think if we treat them all as individuals and not just case numbers, then we are doing our job," he said. "I've also enjoyed working with the people here in the county and in the courthouse."

Harris doesn't plan to completely fade out of the spotlight. He said he wants to take up the role of senior judge and possibly help mediate cases for people having to navigate what could be cumbersome system.

One of the most striking changes Harris reflected on is how Cherokee has transitioned from a "rural/suburban court to a suburban/urban court," a movement that has no signs of slowing down due to the growth. That change, he added, doesn't particularly show up in the number of cases coming through the system, but in the type of crimes judges and prosecutors are tasked with adjudicating.

For example, Harris said he's been practicing law in Cherokee County since 1981 and has never witnessed a time when 13 murder cases are pending in the system.

"It's not that we are backed up," he said. "It's just that a lot of cases have come here. Last year, unfortunately, was a banner year for homicides in Cherokee County."

That doesn't mean the crime rate in the county is out of control. Harris notes that Cherokee fares pretty well compared to counties of a similar size and those that are a bit smaller. The rise in the number of serious crimes churning through the system also means the circuit is also having to use more resources to ensure the cases are handled properly.

To help with the changing times, Cherokee County has introduced several accountability courts to help address issues that come before judges: DUI/Drug Court for misdemeanors; Mental Health Court; Veterans Treatment Court; Drug Accountability Court for felony offenses; and the newly created Child Support Court. Judge Harris said the Child Support Court will work with people who are either unable or unwilling to pay court-mandated support, with the goal of getting them to comply with the orders.

Harris grew up in northern Cherokee County and graduated from Cherokee High School. He attended Emory and Mercer universities and eventually obtained his law degree. After he was admitted to the bar, he served as a law clerk for Court of Appeals Judge Marion T. Pope Jr. and Chief Judge Richard B. Neville before spending 14 years in private practice. Over the years, he's worked to bring more responsive efforts in handling probation revocation cases and cases requiring translators to the Superior Court. Last year he and Court Administrator Lynn Epps rolled out improvements in the scheduling of criminal case hearings.

Harris has also worked as an instructor for the University of Georgia Institute for Continuing Legal Education, which provides services to attorneys, judges and other court personnel on a broad range of law and practice topics. Harris is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Blue Ridge Circuit Bar Association, the Council of Superior Court Judges and Lawyers Club of Atlanta.

Outside of the realm of law, Harris is a Leadership Cherokee graduate and served for many years on the board that directs the program. He was a member of the organizing Board of Directors of the Mimms Boys and Girls Club and a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee that recommended implementing an Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to fund school construction projects.

He is also a emeritus member of the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, member of the Cherokee County Historical Society and has received community service awards from the Woodstock Police Department and Kiwanis, Optimist and Rotary clubs. He and his wife of 35 years, Anne, have two adult children.

While Cherokee County's population has exceeded the 225,000 mark, Harris said that doesn't mean the Superior Court is not able to keep up with the caseload. He noted he doesn't believe the court is in a position to receive a fourth judge in the next two to three years because the case numbers are not dramatically higher. In 2017, the State Council of Superior Court Judges conducted a workload assessment, which showed the local Superior Court handled a little more than 5,000 cases between the three judges.

As for the future, Harris said he's happy to see the long-awaited Justice Center expansion project included in the county's most-recent SPLOST project lineup and hopes the judicial branch and the Cherokee County government officials can work together to provide adequate resources for court operations.

"I think there will be continuing conversations between the executive and judicial branch about resources and those won't be easy conversations," he said. "Our success depends on our ability to all get along."

Image via Judge Jackson Harris