From Staff Reports
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L. Gale Buckner, the current commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice, was appointed today to take over the position vacated by former Murray County chief magistrate Bryant Cochran.
Buckner said she will retire from her current job on Oct. 31 and begin in the new position on Nov. 1.
“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.
She said she will work hard to restore citizens’ trust in the office. Cochran resigned over the summer amid allegations he pre-signed warrants and made unwanted sexual advances toward several women. He has denied any sexual wrongdoing and said he pre-signed only a handful of warrants but never did or intended to issue them without a hearing first.
