At its 2017 annual meeting in Athens, the Council of Superior Court Judges awarded Hall County Superior Court Judge Jason Deal the sixth annual Emory Findley Award for "Outstanding Judicial Service."
According to a press statement from Hall County government, the Emory Findley Award is named for the late Atlantic Judicial Circuit superior court Judge Emory Findley, who served in that role from 1976-1994. Judge Findley died in 2004, still serving as a senior judge.
The annual award is given to honor a judge who exemplifies Judge Findley's virtues of visionary leadership, resolve and dedication.
Deal was appointed Judge of the Superior Court of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia by Governor Sonny Perdue effective June 22, 2005 and ran unopposed for re-election to the post in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Deal became the presiding Judge of the Hall County Drug Court in January, 2006 and started the Dawson County Treatment Court (Drug/DUI) in July of 2006. He is a member of the Governor's Criminal Justice Reform Council. Deal currently serves as chair of the Council of Accountability Court Judges of Georgia.
Prior to becoming Judge, Deal served as the District Attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit from May 1, 2002 until June of 2005. While serving as District Attorney, he was involved in the planning and commencement of the Hall County H.E.L.P. (Mental Health) Court and served on the Georgia Crime Information Center Advisory Council. He also served as a Magistrate Judge in Hall County, and as an Assistant District Attorney for Hall and Dawson counties.
