Judge Cynthia Wright Speaks at February Family Law Breakfast

Judge Cynthia Wright of the Superior Court of Fulton County was the speaker at the February DeKalb Bar Association Family Law Breakfast. Judge Wright has left the family court bench and is currently serving as a general superior court judge and as chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court. She expressed that she enjoyed being a family court judge but is now enjoying the challenges of an unspecialized courtroom.

She noted that the system in Fulton County involves specialized family court judges and staff, whose calendars are entirely devoted to family law. The system also utilizes status conferences, which are intended to efficiently and completely resolve cases. But even if the cases cannot be completely resolved, the status conferences are at least an attempt to resolve temporary issues and to move the cases toward a final trial.

When asked her thoughts about the family court system in Fulton County, Judge Wright stated that, in her view, the family court in Fulton County is a success. First, it is advantageous to have courts that are specialists in an area of law as complex as family law. Judges that repeatedly hear similar issues are able to refine their approach and create a well-known record of precedent for their views. Second, the family court has been a success in terms of efficiently resolving cases by the use of judicial officers and status conferences.

Judge Wright also shared Judge Scott’s view that the financial status of the state and the economy in general may delay or impede programs, such as a family court, that may be useful in other counties, such as DeKalb.

The Family Law Section breakfast meetings are held the first Thursday of every month in the Harrison Room at the historic Old Courthouse in downtown Decatur.