Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment of two judges and two solicitors general across the state. The governor has appointed J. Wade Padgett to the Court of Appeals vacancy created by the removal of Court of Appeals Judge Christian Coomer on August 16, 2023. Judge Padgett’s appointment to the Court of Appeals creates a vacancy in the Columbia Judicial Circuit that will be filled by the appointment of J. Grady Blanchard. Governor Kemp has also appointed Spencer Tyson as the Solicitor General of Effingham County and Amy Godfrey as the Solicitor General of Coweta County.

J. Wade Padgett has served as Superior Court Judge in both the Augusta Judicial Circuit, and in the newly-created Columbia Judicial Circuit. Prior to his 2009 appointment to the Augusta Circuit Superior Court bench, he served as Chief Magistrate Judge of Columbia County and maintained a solo law practice, J. Wade Padgett, P.C. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Augusta Bar Association, and serves as chair of new judge training for the Council of Superior Court Judges. Active in his community, Judge Padgett is the creator and presenter of Teenage Years 101, an educational program for teens and parents. Judge Padgett holds a J.D. from Georgia State College of Law and a B.A. in History from the University of Georgia. He and his wife have two children and attend Wesley United Methodist Church.

J. Grady Blanchard currently serves as Chief Judge for the Municipal Courts of Waynesboro and Louisville and is a solo practitioner with the Blanchard Law Firm. He previously served as an Associate Judge for the Magistrate Court of Columbia County and an Associate Judge for the Municipal Courts of Grovetown, Wrens, and Stapleton. Judge Blanchard is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Augusta Bar Association, and the Council of Municipal Court Judges. He holds a J.D. from John Marshall Law School and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Augusta State University. He and his wife have one child and attend Abilene Baptist Church.

xxSpencer Tyson is an associate attorney at Taulbee, Rushing, Snipes, Marsh and Hodgin, LLC in Statesboro, Georgia. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit and as a law clerk for the district attorney in the Towaliga Judicial Circuit. He is a member of the Bulloch County Bar Association and the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Tyson received his J.D. from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University and his B.A. in Political Science from Mercer University. He is an avid golfer and outdoorsman.

Amy Godfrey has served as acting solicitor of the Coweta County Solicitor General's Office since January of 2024. She previously served as Chief Assistant Solicitor, a position she has held since January of 2012, and as an assistant solicitor. Before joining the Coweta County Solicitor General's Office, she served as Town Solicitor for the Tyrone Municipal Court and as an associate attorney in the Law Office of Daniel M. King. Godfrey is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and Newnan-Coweta Bar Association, having served as past president of the latter. She holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a B.S. from Charleston Southern University. Godfrey and her husband, Isaac, have two children and attend Crossroads Church.