Tricia L. Hise has been appointed to serve as Chief Magistrate of Habersham County following the resignation of former Judge Gerald Johnson on Jan. 11.
Superior Court Judges Russell W. Smith, B. Chan Caudell and William R. "Bill" Oliver unanimously voted to appoint the Clarkesville attorney to the seat.
Hise is a native of Habersham County, having graduated from Habersham Central High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Georgia and a law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. Hise is a partner at Hotard & Hise, Attorneys at Law.
Hise was admitted to the State Bar in 2005. She served as an assistant district attorney with the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office from 2005 to 2007. She is admitted to practice law in the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern Division of Georgia.
She has been involved in numerous organizations, including the Mountain Circuit Bar Association, where she previously served as president. She serves on the steering committee of the Habersham Chamber of Commerce's SOAR, having previously co-chaired the committee. Hise has also served on the board of directors of the Habersham Chamber of Commerce and is an attorney coach for the Habersham Central Mock Trial Team. She is a member of the Habersham Rotary Club and UGA Alumni Association. She was a member of the Leadership Habersham Class of 2018.
Hise lives in Cornelia with her husband and son.
Georgia's magistrate courts hear applications for search warrants, county ordinance violations, garnishments, eviction cases and civil claims for damages where the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000. The courts also set bail for most criminal offenses, conduct trials related to bad check cases and hear cases related to the foreclosure of certain liens.
Hise's term ends on Dec. 31, 2024.
