Kelly Wegel was recently appointed as Associate Judge for the Athens-Clarke County Magistrate Court, starting January 10, 2022. Her appointment follows the vacancy that will be created by Associate Judge Benjamin Makin’s appointment as the new Chief Judge for Magistrate Court, effective January 1, 2022. Judge Makin will replace Judge Barron who will retire as Chief Judge on December 31, 2021. Judge Makin noted “We are very excited to have Ms. Wegel joining Magistrate Court and I am confident she will be an excellent judge. She will bring intelligence, patience, fairness and a strong understanding of the law to her work on the bench. She has the full support of myself, Judge Green and the Superior Court Judges.”
Kelly Wegel has worked as an attorney for the Western Circuit Public Defender’s Office since February 2018. Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and an attorney at the Conasauga Circuit Public Defender’s Office in Whitfield County. She graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in Journalism and Spanish and from the University of Georgia School of Law. She was born in Atlanta and grew up in Snellville. Before attending law school, she was a freelance photographer in Athens. She and her husband, Dr. William Oliver, live in Athens with their three cats.
Having received her appointment, Wegel expressed her gratitude. “I am honored to have been selected for this position, and I am grateful to Judge Makin and the Superior Court Judges for their support and for putting their trust in me,” she said. “I will work hard for the people of Clarke County and will strive to uphold the high standards set by the Magistrate Court staff and Judges Barron, Makin, and Green.”
Both Makin and Wegel will be sworn in on Friday, January 7, 2022 at 3:00 PM on the front steps of the Athens-Clarke County courthouse.