Cynthia J. Becker
Cynthia J. Becker was a Superior Court Judge on the DeKalb Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, from 2000 until March 1, 2015.[1] She presided over several high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey[2] and the release of exonerated Clarence Harrison.[3]
Career
- DeKalb County Drug Court, Tracks 1 & 2 - Presiding Judge
- Judge of DeKalb County Superior Court (August 2000 – March 2015)
- Trial lawyer and partner for Chambers, Mabry (1988 – 2000)[4]
Education
- University of Central Florida, Bachelor's degree in Finance
- 1987- Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law
Controversy
Becker announced her resignation from the DeKalb County Superior Court in November, 2014, citing her engagement to be married,[5] under the cloud of an Georgia Judicial Qualification Commission investigation into her handling of a case where she rejected a witness' testimony in a public corruption case.[6]
In August, 2015, a Cobb County, Georgia grand jury indicted Becker on charges that she lied to the state judicial watchdog agency about her handling of that case.[7] The charges were dismissed a few days later[8] and the prosecutor was scolded for seeking the indictment.[9]
Acclamations
- Master, Bleckley Inn of Court, Georgia State University College of Law
- Board of Visitors, GSU College of Law
- 2006 Member of Judicial Workload Assessment Committee and was appointed by Chief Justice Sears
- Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia - Treatment and Accountability Courts Committee and has also chaired on Public Outreach; Court Security for the 4th Judicial Administrative District, Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Uniform Rules Committee, the Executive Planning Team, and Special Committee on Other Courts
- 2007 Transition into Law Practice Program Mentor
- Judicial Outreach - “Challenges of Being a Single Parent”; Mock Trials for elementary and middle school students
- Frequent Presenter at professional seminars for Judges, Lawyers, and other legal professionals focusing on: legal ethics, professionalism and implementation and expansion of Accountability and Treatment Courts
- 2006 Named Law Dragon as one of the leading Judges in the Country
- 2005 Decatur Rotary Past President, former Vice President of DeKalb Library Foundation, Class of Leadership DeKalb; member of the Southern Center for International Studies
- Professional Affiliations include: DeKalb Bar Association, DeKalb Lawyers’ Association, Atlanta Bar Association - Judicial Section, President Elect, the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association - Judicial Branch, and the National Association of Women Judges[10]
References
- ↑ http://w2.georgiacourts.gov/journal/index.php/component/content/article/59-march-2015/328-transitions. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Christensen, Tracey (15 August 2002). "Dorsey: Life Plus 23 Years in Prison". Free Republic. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Wrongly-Convicted Inmate Goes Free after 17 Years in Prison". Georgia Innocence Project, Inc. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Cynthia Becker". LinkedIn. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ Niesse, Mark (10 November 2014). "DeKalb judge plans to resign". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Judge in DeKalb corruption case sends resignation letter". The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Kent D. (20 August 2015). "Grand Jury Indicts Ex-DeKalb Judge Over Her Dealings With JQC". Daily Report. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Charges against ex-DeKalb Judge Becker dropped". AJC.com. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ McDonald, R. Robin (27 August 2015). "Cobb Judge Blasted Prosecutor Over Ex-Judge's Short-Lived Indictment". Daily Report. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- ↑ "Judge Cynthia J. Becker". Stone Mountain Judicial Court Circuit. Retrieved 10 July 2012.