A former chief justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court was honored this week for his role in reforming the state’s judicial system.
Justice Norman Fletcher served as Georgia’s chief justice from 2001 to 2005. In 2003, he was instrumental in passing the Georgia Indigent Defense Act, which formalized the state’s public defender’s office. Now 91 years old, he says that during his career he was disturbed by the lack of competent lawyers representing low-income defendants.
“I knew then that I’ve got to try to do something to bring it about so that Georgia’s system would be one that would pass constitutional muster,” said Fletcher.
Fletcher’s lifetime achievement award was presented by the Georgia Public Defender Council, whose lawyers defend many of the state’s accused who cannot afford representation.
