Kenneth (Ken) Bryant Hodges, III was elected to the Court of Appeals by the citizens

of Georgia in 2018, winning every county in the state with wide bipartisan support in a

contested election for a rare open seat on the Court. Judge Hodges took office on Jan.

1, 2019, and was elected again state-wide in 2024. With deep experience in diverse

practice areas, Judge Hodges has served as a prosecutor, defended criminal cases,

and been on both sides of a dispute in civil matters. He has been a court appointed

receiver and a mediator. Judge Hodges is applying this experience on the bench to

uphold the rule of law and ensure justice for all.

Judge Hodges was born and raised in Albany, GA. He graduated from Episcopal High

School in Alexandria, VA, and earned his B.A. from Emory University in Political

Science and Sociology with a minor in English in 1988. While at the University of

Georgia Law School, he participated in a clinical program with a public defender and

was sworn in under the Third Year Student Practice Act to try cases. He earned his J.D.

from UGA Law in 1991 and set out to become a litigator. After working with a litigation

firm in Atlanta, he returned to Albany as an Assistant District Attorney.

Judge Hodges was elected District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit in 1996 at

the age of 30. Within the first two years, he cleared out a backlog of eight death

penalty cases and took them to trial. He formed trial teams which effectively ended

unnecessary delays in moving cases forward, and focused on laws and programs to

better protect children in the county. This included a child prosecution unit, a child

advocacy center, a truancy program to target unauthorized school absences, and he

also established a sexual assault unit. In his second term, he was named District

Attorney of the Year for the State of Georgia. 

During his 12 years as District Attorney, Ken was committed to managing an efficient office, which operated under budget every year. He was elected President of the DA’s Association and also served as Chairman of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council; he was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes as Chairman of the Legal Loan Forgiveness Task Force and as a member of the Certainty in Sentencing Commission.

In 2008, he returned to private practice, working in transactional law and then

litigation. In 2015, Ken started his own law firm, Ken Hodges Law, based in Albany and

Atlanta with a focus on commercial litigation. Judge Hodges was elected President of

the State Bar of Georgia (2018-2019), the first judge to lead the organization in its

history. He currently serves on the State Bar’s Office of General Counsel Oversight

Committee, is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Truist-Albany, and is Vice-Chairman

of the Albany-Dougherty Airport Commission. Ken also serves on the Board of Advisors

of University of Georgia’s State Botanical Garden and the Board of Directors of the

Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center, a non-profit that works to improve access

to justice for low-income people in the region.

Judge Hodges has been widely recognized for his legal and civic accomplishments

during his more than 27 years as a practicing attorney, including as the recipient of the

State Bar’s Commitment to Equality Award, the Justice Benham Award for CommunityService, and The Eagle Award from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for his work on behalf of crime victims.

Links:

https://www.gaappeals.gov/

http://www.akintate.com/

https://www.gatriallawyers.net/

See You In Court (seeyouincourtpodcast.org)

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Why Nick Moraitakis Chose Mediation After Retirement

Podbean Description

After decades as both a defense lawyer and plaintiff’s attorney, Nick found that mediation gave him a way to stay mentally engaged while using his experience for a different purpose.

In this clip, he also explains why understanding and respecting both sides matters. Having worked in defense himself, Nick knows the pressure those attorneys face and brings that perspective into the mediation room.

The full interview goes much deeper into Nick’s nearly 50-year legal career, his work on major Georgia cases, how mediation has changed, and what he’s learned from representing people on both sides of civil disputes.

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Learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation:

#SeeYouInCourt #Mediation #CivilJustice #GeorgiaLaw #LegalPodcast

You can’t rush mediation.

Nick Moraitakis compares the process to cooking soup or stew. Sometimes, both sides need time to work through their positions, get tired of holding the line, and finally move toward an agreement.

So what is a case worth?

Nick puts it simply: it’s worth the most the defense will pay and the least the plaintiff will accept. Hopefully, those numbers meet.

Watch the full episode:

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Learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation:

#SeeYouInCourt #Mediation #CivilJustice #GeorgiaLaw #LegalPodcast

The Kathryn Johnston case required more than outrage over what happened. It required careful legal work, coordinated effort and a willingness to uncover the facts.

In this clip, Nick Moraitakis explains how the attorneys representing Ms. Johnston’s family worked together, divided up the issues and handled the many depositions needed to build the case.

Robin Frazer Clark also notes the larger impact of that work. The case not only resulted in a settlement for the family, it helped bring attention to serious problems within the Atlanta Police Department’s Red Dog Unit and contributed to broader reform.

This clip highlights the role civil litigation can play in uncovering truth, holding institutions accountable and helping prevent injustice from being ignored.

Listen to the full episode:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/righting-wrongs-with-nick-moraitakis

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/RTqwiQj2kjA

Learn more about See You In Court:

https://seeyouincourtpodcast.org

No one should be above the law, and no one should be denied its protection.

In this clip, Nick Moraitakis reflects on a message from Georgia Supreme Court Justice Carla Wong McMillian and explains why equality is central to his definition of justice.

The civil justice system matters because it gives every person, regardless of background, status or influence, the opportunity to be heard and protected under the law.

Listen to the full episode:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/righting-wrongs-with-nick-moraitakis

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/RTqwiQj2kjA

Can an experienced mediator tell early whether a case is likely to settle?

Nick Moraitakis explains how the first few moves often reveal where each side is headed. The mediator’s role is to determine whether those paths may eventually meet, when to push the parties and when patience is the better strategy.

This clip offers a practical look at the judgment, timing and persistence behind successful mediation.

Listen to the full episode:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/righting-wrongs-with-nick-moraitakis

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/RTqwiQj2kjA

After two people died in Atlanta’s 1993 Midtown hotel sinkhole disaster, their immigrant families faced more than grief.

One family had difficulty speaking English. Both struggled to understand where to turn. By the time attorneys became involved, many of the region’s leading geotechnical experts had already been retained by the defense.

Nick Moraitakis explains how the case began and why access to experienced legal counsel can matter so much when ordinary families confront powerful institutions and highly technical evidence.

Hear the full conversation:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/righting-wrongs-with-nick-moraitakis

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/RTqwiQj2kjA

Learn more:

https://seeyouincourtpodcast.org

Three police officers went to federal prison following the fatal shooting of Kathryn Johnston, but the civil case demanded answers that went beyond the actions of three individuals.

Nick Moraitakis explains how information provided by two of the officers helped attorneys pursue evidence of an alleged unwritten arrest quota and a broader departmental practice. It is a revealing example of how civil litigation can uncover facts, challenge institutions and pursue accountability after a profound injustice.

Hear the full conversation with Nick Moraitakis:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/righting-wrongs-with-nick-moraitakis

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/RTqwiQj2kjA

Learn more about See You In Court:

https://seeyouincourtpodcast.org

What can lawyers do when legal principles are under pressure?

Robin Frazer Clark recalls Emmet Bondurant’s belief that lawyers have unique tools most citizens don’t. They can file suit, issue subpoenas, step into courtrooms, and use their law licenses to do good.

Professor Stephen Vladeck takes the idea one step further. Lawyers also educate. They help people understand why due process matters, why the presumption of innocence matters, and why the rule of law has to protect everyone.

This clip is part of a larger See You In Court conversation about the Supreme Court’s shadow docket, judicial transparency, constitutional protections, and the responsibilities of lawyers in difficult times.

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ustice is rarely simple.

At the conclusion of this See You In Court conversation, Professor Stephen Vladeck describes justice as messy, imprecise, and complicated. Those complications, however, help give people confidence that the law is more stable, neutral, and principled than the will of whoever currently holds political power.

This closing reflection connects directly to Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate’s broader interview with Professor Vladeck about the Supreme Court’s shadow docket, due process, judicial transparency, and public confidence in the legal system.

Watch the complete interview on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/kfK3Fl1_Qgw?si=L-yLs9z0LJkrmHEP

Listen to the complete episode on Podbean:

https://seeyouincourt.podbean.com/e/the-supreme-court-s-secret-power-grab-shadow-docket-explained/

Learn more:

https://seeyouincourtpodcast.org/

Justice, Stephen Vladeck, Supreme Court, Shadow Docket, Rule of Law, Due Process, Judicial Transparency, Civil Justice, Legal Podcast, See You In Court