Cynthia J. Becker | |
|---|---|
| Judge for the DeKalb County Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit | |
| In office August 2000 – March 1, 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cynthia Jeanne Becker
[1] February 26, 1957 [2] Patrick Air Force Base, Florida [2] |
| Education |
University of Central Florida (BA) Georgia State University College of Law (JD) |
Cynthia Becker Mello [3] (born February 26, 1957) is a former Georgia Superior Court Judge on the DeKalb Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, from 2000 until March 1, 2015. [4] She presided over several high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey [5] and the release of exonerated Clarence Harrison. [6]
Career
- DeKalb County Drug Court, Tracks 1 & 2 - Presiding Judge
- Judge of DeKalb County Superior Court (August 2000 – March 2015)
- Trial lawyer and partner for Chambers, Mabry (1988 – 2000) [7]
Education
- University of Central Florida, Bachelor's degree in Finance
- 1987- Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law
Controversy
Becker announced her resignation from the DeKalb County Superior Court in November, 2014, citing her engagement to be married, [8] under the cloud of a Georgia Judicial Qualification Commission investigation into her handling of a case where she rejected a witness' testimony in a public corruption case. [9]
In August, 2015, a Cobb County, Georgia grand jury indicted Becker on charges that she lied to the state judicial watchdog agency about her handling of that case. [10] The charges were dismissed a few days later [11] and the prosecutor was scolded for seeking the indictment. [12]
Acclamations
- Master, Bleckley Inn of Court, Georgia State University College of Law
- Board of Visitors, GSU College of Law
- 2006 Member of Judicial Workload Assessment Committee and was appointed by Chief Justice Sears
- Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia - Treatment and Accountability Courts Committee and has also chaired on Public Outreach; Court Security for the 4th Judicial Administrative District, Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Uniform Rules Committee, the Executive Planning Team, and Special Committee on Other Courts
- 2007 Transition into Law Practice Program Mentor
- Judicial Outreach - “Challenges of Being a Single Parent”; Mock Trials for elementary and middle school students
- Frequent Presenter at professional seminars for Judges, Lawyers, and other legal professionals focusing on: legal ethics, professionalism and implementation and expansion of Accountability and Treatment Courts
- 2006 Named Law Dragon as one of the leading Judges in the Country
- 2005 Decatur Rotary Past President, former Vice President of DeKalb Library Foundation, Class of Leadership DeKalb; member of the Southern Center for International Studies
- Professional Affiliations include: DeKalb Bar Association, DeKalb Lawyers’ Association, Atlanta Bar Association - Judicial Section, President Elect, the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association - Judicial Branch, and the National Association of Women Judges [13]
References
- ^ Judge Profile: Hon. Cynthia Jeanne Becker
- ^ a b Hubbell, Martindale (April 1997). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho (Volume 6 - 1997). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561602223.
- ^ Ex-judge says voters may have voided her pledge to stay off the bench
- ^ "Transitions". Archived from the original on 2015-03-25.
- ^ Christensen, Tracey (15 August 2002). "Dorsey: Life Plus 23 Years in Prison". Free Republic. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Wrongly-Convicted Inmate Goes Free after 17 Years in Prison". Georgia Innocence Project, Inc. 31 August 2004. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Cynthia Becker". LinkedIn. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ Niesse, Mark (10 November 2014). "DeKalb judge plans to resign". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Judge in DeKalb corruption case sends resignation letter". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ Johnson, Kent D. (20 August 2015). "Grand Jury Indicts Ex-DeKalb Judge Over Her Dealings With JQC". Daily Report. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Charges against ex-DeKalb Judge Becker dropped". AJC.com. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ McDonald, R. Robin (27 August 2015). "Cobb Judge Blasted Prosecutor Over Ex-Judge's Short-Lived Indictment". Daily Report. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ^ "Judge Cynthia J. Becker". Stone Mountain Judicial Court Circuit. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
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