The Augusta Judicial Circuit until recently was comprised of Burke, Richmond, and Columbia counties. But Republican-oriented Columbia wasn’t happy with last November’s narrow defeat of the Circuit’s GOP District Attorney Natalie Paine by Democrat Jared Williams of Richmond County, who critics say sounds and acts more like a social worker than a prosecutor.
After Paine’s defeat, Columbia County commissioners unanimously voted to ask the 2021 General Assembly to allow them to form their own judicial district. And state lawmakers did just that before adjourning in March. An argument made by Columbia County’s legislators was especially compelling: Columbia Countians elect their own sheriff, coroner, clerk of court, tax commissioner, etc. so why should Richmond and Burke countians select their DA?
However, state Rep. Jodi Lott, R-Evans, explains on her Facebook page that advocacy of the new judicial circuit began far before last November. She writes:
“Richmond County Sen. Harold Jones (a Democrat) initiated the most recent study that determined circuit split viability. That study referenced that, at that time, Columbia County had one judge too many. The retirement of Judge (Mike) Annis was the first hurdle removed. The second, being a courthouse, was worked by Columbia County officials throughout the summer of 2020. The vast majority of work needed to accomplish an easy judicial split was completed before the election of Richmond County DA Jared Williams.”
Now the new Columbia County Circuit has been born, it has a new district attorney: Bobby Christine. Most recently the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Southern District, he once worked as an assistant DA in the old three-county circuit prosecuting a variety of crimes. A brigadier general in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he also was a one-time Columbia County magistrate judge.
Christine was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. And guess who Christine appointed as his No. 2 in the office? Natalie Paine.
