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ZEBULON - This is a four year seat currently held by Incumbent Tommy Hankinson. Incumbent Tommy Hankinson and Challenger Scott Ballard have qualified to run this race. It is non-partisan so it will be on both the Republican and Democratic ballots in the May 24, 2016 election.
I am uploading 500 word or less candidate statements as I receive them at editor@pikecountytimes.com.
Tommy Hankinson, Incumbent
Judge Tommy Hankinson hereby announces his candidacy for reelection as Judge of the Superior Courts of the Griffin Judicial circuit, a position which he has held since January 1, 2003.
Judge Hankinson is a 1966 graduate of R.E. Lee Institute, a 1970 graduate of the University of Georgia where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, and a 1973 graduate of the UGA Law School.
While in school, Judge Hankinson served as a sworn law enforcement officer with the United States Capitol Police Force, and as a radio operator for the Georgia State Patrol. He was also employed with the Martha Mills and Reddick Construction Company.
Judge Hankinson served on active duty as a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps for four years.
After being honorably discharged from the Army, Judge Hankinson was engaged in the general practice of law in Thomaston, Georgia for 25 years. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and all federal and state courts of Georgia. In 1987, he was appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia by Attorney General Michael Bowers.
Judge Hankinson has been a member of the First Baptist Church of Thomaston for 58 years and has served on the finance committee for more than 20 years. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Thomaston First Baptist Foundation, Inc.
Judge Hankinson is the past president of the Thomaston-Upson Chamber of Commerce, Thomaston Kiwanis, Thomaston Main Street, and Thomaston Bulldog Club. He is currently a member of the Thomaston-Upson Arts Council, the Pike County Arts Council, the Thomaston-Upson Humane Society, and has been a member of the chambers of commerce in all four counties of the judicial circuit for more than 13 years.
While serving on the bench, Judge Hankinson has presided over thousands of cases including: Criminal, Civil, Domestic Relations, Adoptions, and Domestic Violence. He was a principal organizer of the Domestic Violence Task Force for the Griffin Judicial Circuit which is now known as Promise Place. He is the founding Judge of the Griffin Judicial Circuit Adult Felony Drug Court. He has implemented a policy of requiring probationers to obtain a GED as a special condition of probation. During his tenure as a judge bench he has accumulated more than 400 hours of Continuing Judicial Education.
He is a 23 gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.
He and his wife, Joni, reside in Thomaston with their two dogs, Max and Little Man. His step-daughter, Sibby, resides in Jacksonville, Florida.
He would like to make it known that, “It has been both a privilege and honor to serve the citizens of the Griffin Judicial Circuit as a Superior Court Judge for the past 13 years, and I look forward to continued service in that capacity during the next term.”
You can learn more about Judge Hankinson on Facebook and at www.judgehankinson.com.