Case Study #3: Douglas County Magistrate Judge Susan Camp

Issue Summary: 

This case involved Douglas County Magistrate Judge Susan Camp. After Judge Camp’s electoral opponent was disqualified for not being a Georgia bar member, the local county party attempted to replace the candidate on the ballot. They followed a procedure that violated the statutory process, but the Board of Elections accepted the candidate anyway. In response, a voter filed a qualification challenge. The superior court agreed that the Board of Elections violated the law, but found that the voter brought the challenge under the wrong code section because “qualifications” didn’t encompass how someone got on the ballot, but only whether he or she met requirements for staying in office.

Issue Outcome:

We handled the appeal, which went straight to the Georgia Supreme Court as an election matter. After granting the motion for discretionary application on August 18, the Supreme Court required briefs one week apart, followed by argument on September 20. The Court ruled 10 days later, agreeing with the team’s position that the “qualifications” of a candidate encompass the process for getting on the ballot as well as the requirements for staying in office. The result: Judge Camp was unopposed in the general election. The case marked our team’s fastest trip through the Supreme Court to date – marking 66 days from the start of the appeal to its finish.