Buckner appointed Murray chief magistrate

L. Gale Buckner, commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice, was appointed Tuesday from among 39 applicants to take over the position vacated by former Murray County chief magistrate Bryant Cochran.

Buckner, a Murray County native, said she will retire as commissioner on Oct. 31 and begin as chief magistrate on Nov. 1. The circuit’s four Superior Court judges appointed Buckner for the term that lasts through Dec. 31, 2014.

“I just want to get in there, get my feet on the ground, learn the mechanics of the job and talk with the employees that are a part of the office,” Buckner said.

Restoring citizens’ trust will be one of her top goals, Buckner said. Cochran resigned over the summer amid allegations he pre-signed warrants and made inappropriate sexual advances toward several women. He has denied any sexual wrongdoing and said he pre-signed only a handful of warrants but never issued them or intended to issue them without a hearing first.

Three female employees who worked under Cochran have filed complaints with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging they were in a “hostile, sexually-charged work environment.”

McCracken Poston, an attorney for one of the women who made allegations against Cochran and who is working with attorneys on several of the other cases, has high praise for Buckner.

“I’ve known her for 25 years, first as a GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) agent, and then different things she did for the state and recently as head of the Department of Juvenile Justice,” Poston said. “I think she immediately restores confidence in this court, especially by the women who are litigants or witnesses. It’s a great appointment.”

Superior Court Judge Cindy Morris was out of town while Judges David Blevins and Jack Partain referred questions about the appointment to Chief Judge William Boyett. Boyett was in court when the announcement came out and didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

“It was a wide array of folks, everyone from lawyers to ordinary people,” said court administrator Brad Butler of the applicants. “There was a large, large group of people that applied and a wide array of experience.”

Buckner said she applied for the position — which was open to Murray residents who met certain criteria — after a lot of consideration.

“When the vacancy became open and it was advertised that the Superior Court judges would be accepting applications, it was something that I just thought about long and hard and put some prayer attached to that,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to come home and serve the people that I’ve grown up with, the people that are my home county family.”

Buckner said she encourages Murray residents who have particular questions or concerns to contact her at the office at (706) 517-1400 after she begins her term.

According to a press release from the court, Buckner currently oversees 27 facilities that provide housing for about 2,000 youth and 92 court services offices serving another 20,000 youth under community supervision. Buckner said she planned to retire this time last year but stayed because Gov. Nathan Deal asked her to address some safety and security issues in the system.

She said she didn’t know who would replace her.

Before coming to the Department of Juvenile Justice, Buckner was appointed in 2005 by then-Gov. Sonny Perdue to serve seven years on the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, part of the time as chair and part of the time as vice chair.

“While serving on the board, Buckner was granted the power to grant pardons and paroles, revoke or continue parole for violators, and review death penalty cases within the window of execution to determine if the sentence should be commuted, or if execution should proceed,” according to a release from Superior Court.

She was also appointed by then-Gov. Roy Barnes as executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in July 2000 where she was involved in disbursing federal grant money to criminal justice and victim services groups.

Her first state job was with the GBI in 1981. According to the release, she served in “key positions during the 1988 Democratic National Convention, 1996 Olympics and 2004 G-8 Summit.”

She began her law enforcement career with the Chatsworth Police Department in 1978, the release states, while attending Georgia State University full time. She received the 1979 Officer of the Year award.

She holds a master in public administration from Brenau University, a bachelor of science in urban life from Georgia State, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. She is the curriculum developer and trainer for the National Institute of Corrections.

Locally, she is a board member of the GreenHouse Child Advocacy and Sexual Assault Center and a recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award for Murray County High School. She is a member of Holly Creek Baptist Church and is the daughter of Ruth Hayes and Malcolm Buckner of Chatsworth.

Officials said Buckner’s starting salary for the chief magistrate position is expected to be about $62,000.

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Buckner appointed Murray chief magistrate

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