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Carol W. Hunstein

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Carol W. Hunstein
Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
In office
July 17, 2012 – August 15, 2013[1]
Preceded byGeorge H. Carley
Succeeded byHugh P. Thompson
In office
July 1, 2009[2] – May 29, 2012[a]
Preceded byLeah W. Sears
Succeeded byGeorge H. Carley
Associate Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
In office
August 15, 2013 – December 31, 2018
Succeeded byJohn Ellington
In office
November 1992 – July 1, 2009
Appointed byZell B. Miller
Judge of the DeKalb County Superior Court
In office
1984 – November 1992
Personal details
Born
Carol Lynn Wyckoff[3]

(1944-08-16) August 16, 1944 (age 80)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
SpouseRalph J. Hunstein (m. 1976)[3]
EducationMiami Dade Community College (AA)
Florida Atlantic University (BS)
Stetson University (JD)

Carol Wyckoff Hunstein (born August 16, 1944) is an American lawyer and judge from Georgia. She is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. She served on the Court as an associate justice from 1992 to 2009 and 2013 to 2018 and as Chief Justice from 2009 to 2013.[4][5]

Early life and education

Hunstein was born in Miami, Florida, on August 16, 1944, to John C. and Mary Reynolds Wyckoff.[6] By age 23, she was a divorced, single mother who had lost her left leg to cancer.[7] However, she overcame this adversity receiving an Associate's degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1970, and shortly thereafter a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in 1972. Upon graduation from FAU, Hunstein enrolled in the Stetson University College of Law. In 1976, she received her Juris Doctor, was admitted to the Georgia Bar Association, and subsequently went into private practice.[8]

Career

Hunstein moved from Florida to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1976. Having established herself in the legal community by 1984, she ran against four men for election to the Superior Court in DeKalb County and made it into the runoff. During the three-week runoff, for the first time Hunstein began using the slogan “This time, this woman,’’ and upon election became the first female superior court judge in the county.[7]

In November 1992, Hunstein was nominated to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Zell Miller. She was the second female Associate Justice in Georgia history. Hunstein was re-elected by voters four times, most recently in November 2012.[9] In June 2009, Hunstein was unanimously elected to replace the retiring Leah Ward Sears as chief justice.[2] Hunstein served from July 2009 until August 2013, taking a hiatus from May to July 2012 to allow presiding judge George Carley to serve as Chief Justice before he retired. Presiding judge Hugh P. Thompson was elected to replace Hunstein at the end of her term.[1] Hunstein then resumed her role as Associate Justice, serving until her retirement at the end of 2018. She was replaced by Georgia Court of Appeals judge John Ellington.[10]

Hunstein also served as an adjunct professor at the Emory University School of Law.[11]

Personal life

Carol married Ralph J. Hunstein in 1976.[6] They have two daughters (Krista and Gabrielle) and a son from her previous marriage (John Abate).[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hunstein stepped down to allow George H. Carley to serve the last two months of his judgeship as chief justice. She resumed her role when he retired.
  1. ^ a b Hugh Thompson to become new Chief Justice. WTVM. Gray Television. 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  2. ^ a b Justice Hunstein to assume top post July 1. Savannah Morning News. Gannett. 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  3. ^ a b Ernest Kay, Diane Butcher (April 1989). International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women. Melrose Press, Ltd. ISBN 9780900332982.
  4. ^ "The Supreme Court of Georgia: Justices' Biographies". Supreme Court of Georgia. Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  5. ^ "Justice Carol W. Hunstein". Supreme Court of Georgia. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
  6. ^ a b c Marie T. Hough, Nancy Woolfolk, Bernadette Grabb (1989). The American Bench: Judges of the Nation. Forster-Long, LLC.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b "Stetson University College of Law: Alumni Serving in the Judiciary" (PDF). Stetson University College of Law. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
  8. ^ "Re-Elect Justice Carol W. Hunstein - Carol's Bio". The Committee to Re-Elect Justice Carol W. Hunstein. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  9. ^ "Georgia judicial elections, 2012". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  10. ^ Tucker, Katheryn (2018-12-04). "Retiring Justice Carol Hunstein Recalls 'Promise' Kept to Gov. Zell Miller". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  11. ^ "The Supreme Court of Georgia: Justices' Biographies". Supreme Court of Georgia. Archived from the original on 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia
2009–2013 		Succeeded by
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