Atlanta, Jan. 18, 2017 – Chief Superior Court Judge David K. Smith of the Cherokee Judicial Circuit has been designated to serve in place of Justice Britt Grant in the appeal and cross-appeal of Raymond Gaddy et al. v. Georgia Department of Revenue et al. (S17A0177) and Georgia Department of Revenue et al. v. Raymond Gaddy et al. (S17X0178). The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the cases on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 during its 10:00 A.M. session. In this high-profile case, a group of taxpayers are appealing a Fulton County court’s dismissal of their constitutional challenges of the state’s Qualified Education Tax Credit Program. In addition to hearing arguments in the case, Chief Judge Smith will participate in the Court’s decision.
Chief Judge Smith, 56, was appointed to the Superior Court by then-Gov. Roy Barnes and took office in January 2001; he was elected in 2002 and has been reelected every four years since. The two-county Cherokee Circuit covers Gordon and Bartow counties. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was in private practice in Calhoun, most recently as a partner in the firm of Ledbetter and Smith.
Chief Judge Smith is a former president of the Gordon County Bar Association, a past president of the Morning Optimist Club of Calhoun, and a member of the 1988 charter class of Leadership Calhoun-Gordon County. He has acted in and served as Music Director for several productions of the Calhoun Little Theatre.
Chief Judge Smith earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Economics from Emory University in 1982. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law.
A native of Calhoun, Chief Judge Smith and his wife, Paige, have been married since 1987. They have two daughters, Gail Smith and Kelly Jourdan, and a son-in-law, Robby Jourdan. They are active members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church where Judge Smith serves as pianist.
(Designated judges are appointed when a justice must recuse himself or herself from a particular case. The Supreme Court of Georgia maintains a list of select judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list.)