Governor Kemp put in Andrew Pinson to succeed David Nahmias on the Georgia Supreme Court docket

Pinson, a STAR high school student and National Merit Scholar, attended the University of Georgia for both college, graduating summa cum laude, and law school, where he sat the bar exam.

Kemp’s swift appointment bypassed the traditional, though not legally required, review process by the state Judicial Nominating Commission. Typically, when a judicial position becomes vacant, interested individuals apply and others are nominated for the position.

In his statement announcing the appointment, Kemp noted that Pinson had undergone the Judicial Nomination Commission review process for his tenure on the Court of Appeals last year. But this time the governor was not accepting new applications to fill Nahmias’s seat.

Running for appeals court election this year, Pinson faced a tough challenge from State Bar of Georgia President Elizabeth Fite, an Atlanta attorney. Now Pinson won’t face voters in his new role until 2024.

Atlanta Attorney Eric Teusink, a prominent Democratic attorney, was among those who took issue with both the timing and the appointment.

“Democratic and Republican lawyers have long worked to avoid overt politicization of Georgia’s appellate courts,” he said. “That détente is being threatened by actions by the Georgia GOP to avoid an election at all costs.”

In an interview, Nahmias said there was “no conspiracy or understanding” with Kemp and the governor didn’t know he was resigning until Nahmias handed him his resignation letter on Friday.

“I had no idea how he was going to do the exchange process or when he was going to make his choice,” Nahmias said. “I didn’t talk about candidates or specific names.”

As for Pinson, Nahmias said he thinks the world of him as an appellate attorney and judge. “I think he is very qualified to serve on the court,” the chief justice said. “But I had no idea what process they were going to follow, and I had no idea they were going to pick it.”

To fill Pinson’s seat on the Court of Appeals, Kemp chose Superior Court Justice Ben Land of Columbus. In 2018, when he was a private attorney, Land was appointed by the then governor. Nathan Deal to the Superior Court bench.

Fite, whose 2022 campaign for the Court of Appeals judge has now concluded, said “concerns about lack of experience” led her to challenge Pinson for his Court of Appeals seat. In a statement, she said those concerns “remain and have not been addressed by his appointment to the Georgia Supreme Court.”

Fite said her campaign has now been pushed back to 2024 when Pinson faces the election. “Finally, the people are being heard on this matter, as it should be,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the 2024 elections.”