Gov. Nathan Deal announced appointments to fill several judicial vacancies. The Honorable Todd Markle will fill the vacancy on the Court of Appeals of Georgia created by the appointment and confirmation of the Honorable William M. Ray II to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The Honorable Mark H. Murphy will fill the vacancy in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit created by the resignation of the Honorable Michael L. Murphy. The Honorable Pandora E. Palmer will fill the vacancy in the State Court of Henry County created by the resignation of the Honorable James T. Chafin III. The Honorable J. Skye Gess will fill the solicitor general vacancy within the State Court of Baldwin County created by the passing of the Honorable Maxine Blackwell Gonzalez.

The appointments will take effect upon swearing in.

D. Todd Markle, Court of Appeals of Georgia
Markle is the Superior Court Judge for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and previously served as Gov. Deal’s executive counsel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia and a law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. Markle and his wife, Beverly, have two children and reside in Atlanta.

Mark H. Murphy, Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit
Murphy is the Juvenile Court Judge for the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech and a law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. Murphy has three children and lives in Cedartown.

Pandora E. Palmer, Henry County State Court
Palmer is the owner of Pandora E. Palmer, P.C. in McDonough. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. Palmer and her husband, Keith, have two children and reside in McDonough.

J. Skye Gess, Baldwin County Solicitor General
Gess is an assistant district attorney for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. Gess and her husband, Joshua, live in Sparta.