Superior Court Judge W. Kendall Wynne, Jr.of the Alcovy Judicial Circuit has been designated to serve in place of Justice Carol Hunstein in the appeal of Goldstein, Garber & Salama, LLC v. J.B. The Supreme Court of Georgia will hear arguments in the case Monday, Dec. 5, during its 10 a.m. session.

In this Fulton County case, an Atlanta-area dental practice is appealing a $3.7 million verdict against it in a lawsuit brought by a young woman who was sexually assaulted by a male nurse anesthetist while sedated. In addition to hearing arguments, Judge Wynne will participate in the Court’s decision.

Judge Wynne, 54, was appointed to the Superior Court by then-Gov. Sonny Perdue and sworn in July 2010; he was elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. The two-county Alcovy Judicial Circuit covers Newton and Walton counties. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Wynne served as District Attorney of the judicial circuit from his election in 2000 until he became a judge. He was in private practice in the Atlanta law firm of Harmon, Smith & Bridges before joining the District Attorney’s Office in 1988.

In addition to his other duties on the bench, Judge Wynne established the Newton County Adult Felony Drug Court in 2013 and has presided over that court since its inception.

 Judge Wynne is a former president of the Alcovy Bar Association, a past president of the Covington Kiwanis Club, and a 2003 graduate of Leadership Walton. He is a past recipient of the State Bar of Georgia Younger Lawyers’ Division Commitment to Justice Award, and in 1990, the Georgia Department of Human Resources named him Georgia Child Support Attorney of the Year.

Judge Wynne earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Georgia in 1984. He is a 1987 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. 

Originally from Macon, Georgia, Judge Wynne has lived in Newton County with his wife, Pam, since 1989. They have two daughters, Courtney and Kendall, and are active members of the First Baptist Church of Covington.

Designated judges are appointed when a justice must recuse himself or herself from a particular case. The Supreme Court of Georgia maintains a list of judges from around the state and when the need arises, the Court appoints the next judge on the list to replace the justice.