Coroner Lauren McDonald III said Gault's body was discovered after a bailiff went to his home when Gault failed to appear for court.
"Apparently he did not show up for work and there were some concerns. They (a bailiff and family member) went to his house and found him in his bedroom." McDonald said.
McDonald said there appeared to be no signs of foul play.
He added that the death of Gault is a loss for Forsyth County.
"He was a leader in our county," McDonald said, "well respected not only in the county but statewide in the judicial circuit. He was a friend of everybody."
Judge Gault had been a member of the State Bar of Georgia since 1971, having graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1966 and Emory University School of Law in 1971.
He served 6 years as Assistant and Special Attorney General of Georgia under Attorney General Arthur Bolton and was in the practice of law for 13 years.
He served as Solicitor of the State Court of Forsyth and Cherokee Counties until his appointment as Judge of that Court in 1980. He was then appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1984 where he served the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit until 1998 when the State legislature split the circuit. He then became the Chief Judge of the newly created Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit. He served in that capacity until his passing.
Gault was instrumental in the creation of Forsyth County's Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit. Gault was in the process of creating a drug court for the circuit at the time of his death.
He was the leader of the Bench and Bar in Forsyth County and a respected jurist statewide. Judge Gault was active in the Council of Superior Court Judges having served as President of the Council in 1998-1999. In addition, he served on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism and the Supreme Court's Blue Ribbon Commission on the Judiciary.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/7/175519