Former GA Supreme Court Justice Dies From COVID-19

ATLANTA, GA — Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice George H. Carley died Thursday night at Emory Decatur Hospital of COVID-19, reports said. He was 82.

Carley was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia in 1993 by then-Gov. Zell Miller. In May 2012, he was sworn in as the 29th chief justice, serving as leader of Georgia’s judicial system until Dec. 31, 2012, when his term in office came to an end, court officials said in a news release. Before serving on the state’s highest court, Carley was a judge on the Court of Appeals of Georgia, the state’s intermediate appellate court, from 1979 until 1993.

Besides his family, he loved two things: the Georgia Bulldogs and the court. A stickler for protocol, he was known for never appearing in public without being “properly attired” in a coat and tie.

“We are devastated by the loss of Justice Carley, a beloved friend and colleague to so many of us,” Chief Justice Harold Melton said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sandy, his son, George H. Carley, Jr., and his two grandsons.”

Carley was the first in Georgia history to serve as presiding judge and chief judge of the Court of Appeals, and as presiding justice and chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.

The Georgia Department of Public Health in Atlanta reported a total of 416,303 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 2:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27. According to the health department's website, that includes 2,412 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours. In addition, Georgia reported 706 new antigen-positive cases over the last 24 hours, which are considered to be probable cases of COVID-19.

Georgia has reported 8,746 deaths so far from COVID-19, with 30 more confirmed deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. Georgia also reported 634 probable deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. These probable deaths include fatalities with indirect evidence of COVID-19.

Georgia reported 34,605 hospitalizations — 18 more than the day before — and 6,464 admissions so far to intensive-care units. The percentage of ICU beds in use statewide dropped to 73.2 percent of capacity, but not all of these beds are being used by COVID-19 patients. About 30 percent of total ventilators available in Georgia are currently in use.