Former Ga. Supreme Court Chief Justice Dies From COVID-19

Former Georgia Chief Justice George H. Carley died on Thanksgiving at 82 after contracting COVID-19.

Former Governor Zell Miller appointed Carley to the court in 1993.

Justice Carley retired from the bench in 2012 after serving as Georgia’s 29th Chief Justice.

Carley is survived by his wife, Sandy, and his son George H. Jr.

Presiding Chief Justice Harold Melton published a statement on Carley’s death. “We are devastated by the loss of Justice Carley, a beloved friend and colleague to so many of us.”

Carley counted himself among the University of Georgia’s “double dogs” after earning both his undergraduate and JD from the university. He passed the bar in 1961 and practiced property law in Georgia until Governor Busbee appointed him to the State Court of Appeals. He served there for 14 years before Governor Zell Miller appointed him to the State Supreme Court in 1979.

As a Justice, Carley was known for his favorable decisions for the state and for plaintiffs. He was often alone in his dissenting opinions, yielding judicial deference to the state legislature.

In a video interview, Carley remarked on his most important cases, stating “every case belongs to the litigant, so every case is important. There’s no case that’s more important than the case you’re dealing with.”