Gainesville lawyer a finalist for judgeship

ATLANTA - A Gainesville attorney is one of two people nominated for a vacant superior court judgeship in Northeast Georgia.

Harmon T. Smith Junior has law offices in Gainesville and in Blue Ridge in Fannin County and Amanda Mercier is a partner in House Speaker David Ralston's Blue Ridge law firm.

They are the choices of the state Judicial Nominating Commission for for the vacancy created in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit by the resignation of Oliver Harris Doss, Junior.

The Appalachian circuit covers Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens counties. Governor Perdue will pick the successor to Doss.