Judge Heath – Get To Work, And Stay There

It is one of my all-time favorite "Augusta stories", and just last week, it picked up a great twist that makes it even more interesting and ironic!

It was in the wee hours of August 20, 2010, when my phone rang with the news, Augusta's most notoriously liberal Superior Court Judge, Carlisle Oversteet, had just shot and killed a burglar who had broken into his Hill area home.  Plugged him with his handy .380, point blank, as the man descended a staircase... BANG!... and DRT! (Dead right there!)

Here is a fun fact, that I JUST found out myself:  

The dead THUG, John E. Howard Jr., was the ex-boyfriend of the daughter of Judge Overstreet's long-time secretary, Barbara.

While it was never suggested that either Barbara or her daughter were in on Howard's plan to break into Overstreet's house, it became pretty clear to investigators that the DT (dead thug) thought he was breaking into an empty house.  That is because back in those days you could count on three sure things in Augusta legal circles:

That's right, for years Chief Judge Overstreet didn't work on Fridays...and it was no secret.  

DT Howard picked up on that info due to his close proximity to the Judge's secretary.  What he didn't know was that week, the Judge's travel plans were altered because of an unexpected medical appointment.

WHOOPSIE.

Kind of ironic that a man known for taking lots of time off would on that occasion pull TRIPLE DUTY... Judge, Jury, and EXECUTIONER.  

While I was never fond of Judge Overstreet, at least that night he helped prove a long-time assertion on my behalf, "There are no liberals in foxholes."

But from my headline, I digress.

14 years ago, it may have been common, maybe even considered a "perk", that Judges and other Constitutional officers played fast and loose with their work schedules, taking as much "vacation", "leave", and "sick time" as they wanted.  But in 2024, that notion should be long dead and buried.  The consequences of not showing up for work are too serious.

Sadly, very few people who are front-row witnesses to the absenteeism are willing to make a public complaint, or God forbid, submit a formal complaint to the state board that handles complaints about Judges, the Judicial Qualifications Commission. Gladly, I am not one of those people.

Augusta Superior Court Judge Amanda Heath, I am talking to YOU.

I have been told, and have confirmed through several well-placed sources, that in the last three years, Judge Heath has averaged between 17 and 20 weeks OFF the Superior Court calendar.  This has occurred during one of the most critically backlogged periods in the history of the Augusta circuit.

Let me emphasize that, over ONE THIRD of the available 52 weeks a calendar year... Judge Heath ain't available (And she has only been on the job 3 years).

Judge Heath first ascended to office by an appointment from Governor Brian Kemp in 2021. She won her first election to her position in 2022.  Before that, she was known as a fair and hard-working Juvenile Court Judge.  Her passion for juvenile justice is well-known and applauded.  Her interest and expertise in the area earned her a position as an officer in the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

I am told her role as a board member of that organization, as well as serving as their elected Treasurer, is at the heart of many of her absences from her Augusta circuit duties.  But she is also very active in other organizations.  Her official bio at the NCJFCJ lists at least two other national boards on which she currently serves, in addition to any local or state organizations that may not be specified.

Noble and worthwhile causes to be sure.  

But the responsibilities for which she receives a full-time salary in Augusta are being very under-served.  I am also told that Judge Heath takes fewer "off the clock" emergency calls from other officials (usually warrant related from law enforcement) than any of her other colleagues.

So, what does it mean when a Superior Court Judge isn't pulling their weight?  It means the entire legal process in the Augusta circuit is moving slower than it should be, and with disastrous consequences. 

The fact that we have a new Judge coming in January to replace the most notorious "workhorse" in the courthouse (the retiring Judge Danny Craig) is only going to make matters worse.  Judge Craig is known to carry twice the load (at least) of many others, and he will be replaced by a rookie (whoever takes his place) that even under the best of conditions will be contributing in a limited capacity for a good while.

Judge Heath...you need to take a leave of absence from your other endeavors, perhaps an outright "retirement", for the foreseeable future, if not permanently.

The Charles Webster Detention Center is dangerously overcrowded right now (and physically falling apart), and many of those waiting for either justice or disposition to the state prison system, are sitting on their fannies because of YOUR ABSENCES. 

We understand COVID put a hardship on the entire system, but while others "buckled down" it appears you ramped up your out-of-town commitments.  This has to end.

We are sorry you didn't get to work in the "salad days" of the old circuit, but those days are done.  Judge Overstreet and his 4-day workweek are OVER.

We need you to get to work and get busy!  You already have a lackluster DA's office to deal with, escalating crime, and a horrifically mismanaged jail.  Overcrowding in that facility is a danger to inmates, and more importantly INNOCENT STAFF.

The bench you worked so hard to get to, and seem to enjoy so immensely, needs your fanny ON IT.  Five days a week, 8 hours a day, AT LEAST 48 weeks a year!

The world is watching.  And your fellow court officers KNOW.