Hall County Magistrate Court Judges Michelle Hall and Brian Heck will both run for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Superior Court seat currently held by Kathlene Gosselin in 2024. Gosselin announced earlier Friday she would retire in 2024 at the end of her term.
"It is with great respect and admiration that I congratulate Chief Judge Kathlene Gosselin on her upcoming retirement at the end of her term in 2024 and announce my candidacy to fill her vacant position," Hall said. "Judge Gosselin has paved the way for female Judges in the Northeastern Judicial Circuit and has been a personal role model for myself as a Judge during my twenty-year career."
Hall has served in the Hall County Magistrate Court for the past four years, serving full-time with the court for about the past two years. Additionally, Hall said she has regularly been sitting by designation in Hall County Superior Court for the past two years.
"Judge Gosselin has built a firm foundation on which her successor can stand," Hall said. "I look forward to being that person so I can continue in her footsteps, dispensing justice when needed, while ensuring the Constitutional Rights of the participants are upheld, and providing resources and accountability to those who strive to be better members of our community through Accountability Courts."
Hall said she believed she had the experience needed to take up the role.
"The Northeastern Judicial Circuit Superior Court is losing a Giant, with very big shoes to fill, and the Circuit deserves an experienced Judge with a proven track record to carry on the great work that Judge Gosselin has done for thirty-eight years," Hall said. "My experience makes me that person, with three years of experience in the Hall County Solicitor’s Office, sixteen years in private practice as a solo practitioner, eleven years as Flowery Branch Municipal Court Judge, and four years as a Hall County Magistrate Court Judge."
More information about Hall can be found on her website.
Brian Heck will also run for the seat. Heck, also a Hall County Magistrate Judge, has served in the magistrate court since January 2022.
"I started in the solicitor's office in April 2015 and worked as a prosecuting attorney until early 2019," Heck said. "At that point, I joined Judge [Clint] Bearden's office as his staff attorney and worked with him through the pandemic and into 2021."
Heck served as a Staff Attorney in 2021 and later as Assistant District Attorney in the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. He joined the magistrate court on a part-time basis in January 2022 and was made full-time in April 2022. Heck said he has served as Judge Gosselin's backup for the past year on the Hall County Mental Health Accountability Court.
"If she's stuck in trial or if she's at a conference or if she's on vacation or anything like that and can't preside over the health court, I step in and preside over the court for her," Heck said. "So it will provide some continuity to that accountability court as well."
He previously had a private practice in Buford. Before going into law, Heck said he worked as vice president of operations for a distribution company in Pendergrass.
"I always saw myself, even as a child, as a young adult, wanting to go to law," Heck. "I always wanted to do law because I always thought of lawyers as being people that were in courtrooms, that was always the vision I had. I wanted to do trial work so I decided to hang up the corporate hat and put on the trial attorney hat."
Heck said he believes he is the best person for the job.
"I have a drive to do this," Heck said. "It is not a job for the faint of heart. It is a lot of heavy, heavy caseloads. Both in numbers, as well as in substance. The Superior Court deals with the worst of the worst in crimes, it deals with divorces and child custody, which is an emotionally tolling case, and I've worked with those cases, I've been a part of those cases."
The nonpartisan position will be filled during the 2024 election cycle.
Superior Court Judge Jason J. Deal will succeed Gosselin as chief judge of the circuit. Gosselin will accept the position of senior judge when she retires.
