Last week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced his decision to appoint someone to fill the seat of retiring Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Court Judge Ralph VanPelt.

Summerville Attorney Melissa Hise had already planned to qualify this week and run for VanPelt’s position before he made the decision to retire with just a few month to go in his four-year term.  Hise said late last week that she will put her name in the hat for an appointment from Governor Kemp, but the final decision will be made by the governor – not the voters.

That  has some people upset.  WZQZ News has received messages from several community residents confused as to why VanPelt would retire and allow the Governor to pick a judge, instead of the voters being allowed to select who they want on the bench.

While judicial positions in Georgia are nonpartisan, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of politics involved.

Currently the four judges on the circuit are Judge Kristina Cook Graham, Judge Don Thompson, Judge Brian House and Judge Ralph VanPelt.  The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit is made up of Walker, Dade, Catoosa and Chattooga Counties.

VanPelt, Thompson and Graham are all Chattooga County natives.