Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County swears in its 1st elected African-American judge

September 27, 2018 Lawrenceville - Gwinnett County State Court judge Ronda Colvin-Leary (left) receives a gavel from State Court Judge Joseph C. Iannazzone after she was sworn-in.  (Photo: Hyosub Shin, AJC)

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The first African-American to be elected to any countywide position was sworn in as a Gwinnett County State Court judge Thursday afternoon.

Ronda Colvin-Leary, a Snellville attorney, won the seat in May.

While multiple African-American judges have been appointed to serve on magistrate, juvenile and recorders courts, Colvin-Leary is the first to win an election for state court, the county’s Administrative Office of the Courts confirmed after her election.

Colvin-Leary has been a member of the Georgia bar since 2001, after earning a law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Auburn University.

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Before her election, she was the solicitor for the city of Winder and ran her own law practice in Lawrenceville for more than a decade.

Gwinnett County State Court handles civil actions, misdemeanors and traffic violations.

Colvin-Leary likes the court's role in the judicial system because it can address more minor legal issues before they may escalate, she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after her election.

“I love State Court because, for me, I like to think that … if you come to State Court we can try to address it before something else major happens and you wind up in Superior Court for a more serious offense,” Colvin-Leary said.

This article was written by Amanda C. Coyne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.