Hon Hugh

Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, a native Georgian and resident of Milledgeville, was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Zell Miller on March 1, 1994. Prior to becoming a justice on the Supreme Court, Justice Thompson served as a superior court judge in the eight-county Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit, having been appointed to that position in 1979 by Governor George Busbee. He was re-elected repeatedly by the citizens of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit and served from 1979 to 1994. He served in the capacity of Chief Judge of the Ocmulgee Circuit from 1987 to 1994.

Before his appointment as a superior court judge, Justice Thompson served from 1971 to 1979 as both judge of the Milledgeville City Court and judge of the Baldwin County Court (now known as the State Court). From 1969 until 1979, Justice Thompson was engaged in the general practice of law in Milledgeville, Georgia. He received his legal education from the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University, earning his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1969. Justice Thompson received his undergraduate training from Emory University and Oglethorpe University.

Justice Thompson's achievements are numerous. He served as President of the statewide Council of Superior Court Judges from 1993 to 1994. He was the 1994 recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award conferred by the alumni of Mercer University Law school. In 1993, Justice Thompson received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Baldwin County Bar Association. He received the Outstanding Public Service Award from the Milledgeville Kiwanis Club in 1988, the Distinguished Service Award from the Milledgeville Jaycees in 1972, and is an Eagle Scout. Among his many professional affiliations, he is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, American Bar Association, and American Judges Associations.