ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp has tapped U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps for a coveted seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals, filling the opening left when Judge Brian M. Rickman stepped down. The move lifts a long-serving federal magistrate with deep Augusta roots and University of Georgia ties onto the state's intermediate appellate bench, subtly reshaping a court that handles many of Georgia's most consequential civil and criminal appeals.
According to a press release from the governor's office, Epps has spent the last thirteen years as a magistrate judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, after previously working as a partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, where he represented commercial policyholders. The release also points to his community involvement in Augusta and his work as an adjunct instructor in mediation at the University of Georgia School of Law. The appointment and biographical details were rolled out on Georgia.gov and quickly picked up in regional coverage from Valdosta Today.
Epps's federal record and legal career
Epps has served as a U.S. magistrate judge since 2013, according to U.S. Courts records and the Southern District of Georgia court directory, putting him on the front lines of federal case management for more than a decade. Before joining the bench he clerked for U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story and practiced at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. He also teaches mediation as an adjunct at the University of Georgia School of Law, a role that gives him a regular window into how future lawyers are being trained. Recent federal dockets show him signing reports and recusal orders this year, a reminder of the steady and often low-profile work magistrate judges shoulder. For background and biographical details, see U.S. Courts and UGA School of Law.
Filling Rickman's vacancy
The seat Epps is taking opened when Judge Brian Rickman announced in June that he would leave the Court of Appeals to return to private practice, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rickman said he planned to exit in early July to join plaintiff-side firm Cathey & Strain, creating the vacancy Kemp has now moved to fill. The appointment is one of several this year that have given the governor fresh opportunities to influence the appellate roster and, in turn, the court's approach to major statewide issues.
What comes next
Like other appointees to the Court of Appeals, Epps will serve under the governor's commission until he must appear on the ballot in a statewide, nonpartisan judicial election for a six-year term. Under state law and standard court practice, judges on the Court of Appeals are elected statewide to staggered six-year terms, and interim appointments expire at the next qualifying election after a vacancy occurs. For statutory context and structural details on how the court operates, see OCGA Title 15 and the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
