Attorney Mickey Kicklighter, a former chief assistant district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, announced Wednesday that he will run for Superior Court judge of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit, comprised of Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins and Screven Counties.

His announcement follows that of attorney Martha Hall, a former assistant district attorney and municipal judge, and Michael Muldrew, currently an assistant district attorney with the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit. Kicklighter, Muldrew and Hall said they will seek election to the position to be vacated by the pending retirement of Superior Court Judge John R. Turner, effective Dec. 31.

Qualifying for the superior court judge seat as well as other local elections is next week – March 7-11, with the general primary slated for May 24.

Touting himself as a conservative, Kicklighter told the Statesboro Herald he believes his “broader experience base” will lend itself to his being the right candidate for the position.

“With more than 33 years of experience as a practicing attorney, I am uniquely qualified to serve as our next judge,” he said in a statement released Wednesday. “I've worked in private practice for decades in almost every area of the law, served as a prosecutor and public defender in trials, practiced civil law to protect the rights of clients, and protected clients in zoning and land use cases.”

A special point of interest for Kicklighter is drug courts in Bulloch and Effingham counties.

“I have been involved in (the drug courts) since they started,” he told the Herald. “I would love to see them continue. It is a very valuable enterprise – we change people’s lives. It is a wonderful thing Judge Turner did and we want it to survive.”

Being a conservative is another positive reason he feels he would be a good judge.

“I also believe we need to elect conservative judges who believe in Constitutional principles,” he said.

Kicklighter is a member of the State Bar Military Legal Assistance Program Committee, and served as a public defender defense counsel for the Bulloch and Effingham County drug court programs.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Mercer University and his law degree from Walter F. George School of Law. 

 A charter member of the Statesboro Morning Rotary Club, has also served as past president of the Springfield Lions Club, served as a former member of the Uniform Superior Court Rules Committee, and of the Judicial Nominations Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. He has also been appointed twice to serve as a Special Master by the Supreme Court of Georgia in State Bar Disciplinary hearings.

Kicklighter served as the past chairman of the Effingham County Republican Party. He and his wife, Kimberly, have three grown children and are active members of Savannah Christian Church.

He was raised by a father who believed in “God, country and family” he said.  His father, LTG Mick Kicklighter (Ret.), served as an Army officer for more than 35 years (including two tours in Vietnam), and then continued his service at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of State, and as Inspector General of the Department of Defense. His paternal grandfather, C.W. Kicklighter, served as Sheriff of Tattnall County, he said.

Kicklighter “knows the value and respect of public service” because this legacy runs in his family history.  “Service is an important aspect” to being a superior court judge, he said.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.