Judge

Personal Life

Chief Magistrate Judge Connie Holt was born and raised in Morgan County. She attended Morgan County Schools, graduating from Morgan County High School in 1966. Shortly thereafter, Connie married her husband of 50 years, Johnny Holt III. They have two children and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. In 1969, Ms. Holt received a Degree in Cosmetology and worked as a Hairdresser for 12 years.

Judicial Career

In 1983, Ms. Holt began working for the Small Claims Court and Justice of the Peace Office for Morgan County. In 1984, Ms. Holt attended the American Academy of Judicial Education for Special Jurisdiction Training for Non-Attorney Judges, and in 1987 received her Paralegal Degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of law, CS.

From 1983 through 1992, Ms. Holt received certificates for continuing Judicial Education from the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education and 1993 to 2016, receiving certificates in Specialty Courses in Family Violence, Landlord Tenant, Bench Trials, Mediation Fundamentals and Advanced Mediation Training and Constitutional Criminal Procedure., as well as continuing education classes.

Chief Magistrate

Ms. Holt is, to date, a member of the facility of the Institute of Judicial Education for Magistrate Court Judges. In 1998 and 1999 she received a certificate for training of Chief Magistrate Judges in Limited Jurisdiction. In 2000, she received a certificate from the National Judicial College, American Bar Association in Reno, Nevada, for Special Courts Jurisdiction, and in 2002, she received a certificate in Special Courts Jurisdiction Advanced from the National Judicial College, American Bar Association in Reno, Nevada. In 2002 and 2003, she received certificates from the Leadership Institute in Judicial Education for Trial Courts; Memphis, Tennessee.

Serving Morgan County

Ms. Holt has been employed with the Morgan County Small Claims Court and Justice of the Peace Court since February 1983. In July of the same year, the Georgia Legislature created the Magistrate Court, which combined the two courts. She continued to serve Morgan County as Clerk and Magistrate until she was elected as Chief Magistrate Judge in 1992.

District Representation

Ms. Holt was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council of Magistrate Court Judges in 1992, and has subsequently been re-elected each year since to serve as District Representative on the Council till 2006, when she was elected to the First Vice President of the Council. In 2007, she was once again elected to First Vice President and 2008 served as President Elect and in 2009 was elected and served as President of the Council and served as Immediate Past- President of the Council in 2010. She served as a member of the State Judicial Council of Georgia, 2006,2007, 2008 and 2009, serving on the Nomination Committee, Budget Committee, and served on the Records Retention Committee. She has worked with the Council of Magistrate Court Clerks to develop a Clerks Handbook and the Rules of Clerks working with Pro Se Litigants. She is also on the Faculty of the Institute of Judicial Continuing Education at the University of Georgia.

She also was appointed to the Magistrate Court Judges Training Council in 2002 and continued to serve as the Chair of the Training Council until 2009. This council develops all the continuing education and training for all Magistrate Judges in the State. She has served and continues to serve on numerous other committees, serving as Chair of the Compensation and Retirement Committees, and serves on the Legislative Committee, serving as Chair in 2014 and continues to serve on the committee. She also served on the Violence in Georgia Committee, Internal Affairs Committee, Bench Book Committee and the Budget Committee. Ms. Holt also serves as a Mentor Judge for new Magistrates and is co-chair of the Mentor Committee.

Awards

Ms. Holt has received several Awards from the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education for Appreciation and Dedicated Service to the State Judiciary, as well as Administration of Justice in Georgia, receiving the Leadership of Excellence in Judicial Education Medallion in 2006 for teaching. She received the Legislator of the Year Awards in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,2003,2004,2005, and 2006 and received the President's Special Recognition Awards for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, receiving the President’s Award in 2009, all presented to her by the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. Ms. Holt received the Magistrate of the Year Award in 2001, presented by the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. In 2003 Ms. Holt received the Workhorse of the Year Award presented by the Council of Magistrate Court Judges, and in 2004 and 2006 she received the Magistrate Judge of the Year Award, presented to her by the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. In 2013 she was presented with the Life Time Achievement Award.

Ms. Holt was appointed by the Governor in May 2006, to serve on the Board of Commissioners of the Magistrate Judges State Retirement Fund, which was newly created and enacted by the legislature, July 1, 2006 and being the First State Retirement Fund for Magistrate Judges. She continues to serve on that board to date. Ms. Holt also serves to date as the Adviser for the Council of Magistrate Court Clerks.

Continuing Excellence

Ms. Holt has served Morgan County as Clerk and Judge of the Magistrate Court for 34 years. In 1992 she was elected Chief Magistrate Judge of the Magistrate Court, and has been re-elected five times, now serving her fifth term as Chief Magistrate Judge for Morgan County.

For the past 34 years, Judge Holt has served Morgan County as Magistrate Judge and has worked diligently over the years to establish a high degree of Judicial Professionalism for Morgan County and throughout the State of Georgia.