Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced September 21 that Marilyn P. Bennett will fill a Superior Court vacancy in the Waycross Judicial Circuit. The governor’s office says the opening follows Judge Dwayne H. Gillis’s resignation. The appointment is a change in judicial leadership, not a ruling in any particular case.
Bennett’s background includes service as the circuit’s district attorney and, before that, as a senior assistant district attorney handling felony prosecutions. The official announcement also describes earlier prosecutorial work in the Brunswick circuit and central Florida, alongside civil practice involving family matters, contracts and alternative dispute resolution. Governor Kemp’s appointment announcement
The geographic reach extends beyond the city of Waycross. The First Judicial District identifies six counties in the circuit: Bacon, Brantley, Charlton, Coffee, Pierce and Ware. That makes the appointment relevant to communities across this part of southeast Georgia rather than only to one courthouse’s immediate neighborhood. First Judicial District’s circuit directory
Readers may still encounter older office listings while looking up the change. The circuit directory reviewed for this report continues to identify Bennett as district attorney. We are using that page for the circuit’s geography and administrative guidance; the dated governor’s announcement is the source for the new appointment.
That distinction is practical, not merely editorial. A directory can be useful for finding the right office while taking time to reflect a personnel announcement. It should not be treated as a reason to disregard a newer official notice, or as proof that every related administrative change has already been completed.
For anyone with an active matter, the announcement should not be read as a new court date, reassignment notice or instruction to change a filing. The circuit’s website directs questions about dates and times to the clerk of court in the county involved. Follow the notice issued in the actual case.
Ware County’s court-system page separately explains that its clerk’s office maintains civil and criminal records and handles filing-related responsibilities. It also warns that staff cannot provide legal advice. Administrative help and legal representation are different services, even when both are relevant to navigating a case. Ware County court-system information
Our analysis: appointments deserve attention because the people serving in courts matter to public institutions. But a professional biography is not a reliable shortcut for predicting how a judge will rule. The appropriate evidence for assessing judicial work will be the record of proceedings and decisions.
We have not verified a swearing-in date or the details of any successor appointment to Bennett’s prior office. Those are separate developments and should not be filled in by assumption. General information here is not legal advice.
The confirmed September 21 development is straightforward: Kemp has named Bennett to the Waycross Superior Court vacancy. The six-county circuit’s next administrative steps should be followed through its official notices.
