Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Resigns

 Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs announced today that he will resign from the Supreme Court of Georgia effective March 31, 2025, which is the last day of the Court’s current term.

He plans to return to private practice in South Georgia.

In his hand-delivered letter of resignation to Gov. Brian Kemp, Chief Justice Boggs noted his 25 years in elective office, including more than two decades of service as a judge at various state court levels.

“Throughout my service, I have endeavored to be a good steward of the public’s trust,” Chief Justice Boggs wrote. “During my 21 years as a judge, I have found it especially rewarding to contribute to efforts that improve our state’s judicial system for the citizens who rely on it to deliver justice for all.”

Boggs was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Nathan Deal in December 2016 and won reelection to the bench in 2018 and 2024. He became Chief Justice in July 2022.

As Chief Justice, he chaired the Judicial Council of Georgia, the policy-making body for the judicial branch, and initiated ongoing efforts to improve judicial security; address the state’s civil justice gap; and respond to the challenges and promises of generative artificial intelligence in the courts. He also sought to bolster access to justice through collaborative initiatives with the State Bar of Georgia’s Office of Bar Admissions and the Supreme Court’s Committee on Access to Justice, and, as chair of the Judicial Council’s American Rescue Plan Act Funding Committee, he worked in collaboration with the state’s executive branch to direct resources to trial courts to address case backlogs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Kemp will appoint a new Justice to fill his seat, and the Court will select its next Chief Justice.

Prior to his time on the Supreme Court bench, Chief Justice Boggs served as a Judge on the Court of Appeals of Georgia (the state’s intermediate appellate court), as a Superior Court Judge in the Waycross Judicial Circuit, and as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. He earned his Juris Doctor from Mercer University School of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board and the ABA/Law School Division moot court competition team, was awarded membership in the Order of Barristers, and was elected to the Student Government Association.

During his time as a judge, Chief Justice Boggs served as a member of Georgia’s Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform and as co-chair of the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Council. He also serves as a member of Gov. Kemp’s Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission, on which he serves as chair of the Mental Health Courts and Corrections Subcommittee and the Familiar Faces Advisory Committee. Chief Justice Boggs also serves on the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission.

Chief Justice Boggs serves as an advisory member of the Council on Criminal Justice, a national criminal justice policy organization, and as a member of the Council’s Veterans Justice Commission. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices and as a member of that organization’s Artificial Intelligence Rapid Response Team. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member and is a past Chair of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, a national nonpartisan criminal justice policy organization.

In his letter, Chief Justice Boggs explained that he is stepping down from the bench “to begin the next chapter of my life.” He noted that his wife has recently retired from full-time teaching, as well as increasing family and personal obligations at his home in South Georgia.

“I consider it my greatest honor to have served as Chief Justice, and I will be forever grateful to Governor Nathan Deal and the citizens of Georgia for affording me this privilege to serve,” he wrote. “I have been blessed to work with dedicated jurists, talented court professionals and staff members, who have made my service possible and to whom I express my utmost appreciation. I also am indebted to my many friends and to the citizens who have graciously supported me over the years.”

Boggs full letter of resignation is below.