Kemp appoints Superior Court judge, DA in Chattahoochee Circuit

ATLANTA – In a Friday afternoon news release, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp filled two vacancies in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit – appointing a district attorney and a Superior Court judge.

Columbus attorney Carolyn “Tippi” Cain Burch was appointed to the Superior Court bench to fill a vacancy filled by the retirement of Judge Ron Mullins. Chief Assistant District Attorney Don Kelly was appointed DA to fill the vacancy created by the death of DA Stacey Jackson to serve as a judge on the Superior Court of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit and Don Kelly to serve as the District Attorney of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit.

Kelly said he was honored to receive the appointment. Kelly is running as a Republican in November for a full term. He is being challenged by Democrat Anthony Johnson.

Kelly has been running the DA’s office since Jackson went on medical leave in November.

“I want to thank Governor Kemp for this appointment and the opportunity to serve as our community’s next District Attorney,” Kelly said in a statement. “It is a great honor to follow in the footsteps of my long-time friend, the late Stacey Jackson. Stacey was more than a friend. He was a part of my family. He cared deeply about people and about justice. He had a relentless commitment to get the job done right. I look forward to carrying on his legacy and his fight for justice.”

Kelly has served as a prosecutor consistently for the last 21 years. He was the leader of the Violent Crime Unit from 2014 until 2020, where he oversaw the prosecution of all serious violent felonies in Columbus and acted as the lead prosecutor in over 50 murder cases. Jackson appointed Kelly to serve as the Chief Assistant District Attorney in July 2022.

Burch is a Columbus native who has been practicing law in Atlanta before returning home.

Burch has 23 years of experience practicing law in trial and appellate courts. She has worked in private practice representing individuals, businesses, business owners, government entities, and candidates and committees – including at King & Spalding LLP, Chalmers, Pak & Burch LLC, and, most recently, as a solo practitioner in Columbus. She also previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

“I am honored to have been appointed by Governor Kemp and look forward to putting my two decades of experience to work for the citizens of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit,” said Burch.

Kemp appointed Burch without taking nominations for the vacant judgeship. Usually, the governor employs the Judicial Nominating Commission in judge searches.

There are seven Superior Court judges and two State Court judges in Muscogee County. Kemp has now appointed four of them. He previously appointed Judge John Martin and Judge Ben Richardson to the Superior Court bench. He also appointed Judge Pete Temesgento the State Court Bench.

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