Charles J. Bethel at a glance
- Current role
- Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Georgia · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Charles J. Bethel
Justice · Supreme Court of Georgia
Biography
Professional career
- Justice Charles Jones (“Charlie”) Bethel was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia on September 4, 2018, by Governor Nathan Deal
- Following his formal education, Justice Bethel served as a law clerk on the U.S
- Responding to a call for public service, Justice Bethel was twice elected to serve as an Alderman for the City of Dalton
- Justice Bethel has served as a volunteer coach for many seasons in various youth sports for the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department
- Justice Bethel also served on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Judiciary Non-civil, Retirement, Government Oversight, and Special Judiciary committees during his service in the Senate
Education
- He continued at the University of Georgia School of Law, receiving his — J.D. (2001)
- Both his business (BBA 1998) and law (JD 2001) degrees from the University of Georgia
- Bachelor of Business Administration in management from the University of Georgia in 1998, graduating cum laude.
Additional information
- 2026-05-21T11:49:07-04:00
- Running for re-election in the May 19, 2026, general election
- Elected to six-year terms on the Supreme Court in 2020 and 2026.
- He graduated from Dalton High School in 1994
- Charles Jones Bethel was born on March 3, 1976, in Athens, Georgia, and raised in Dalton, Georgia, where he continues to reside with his family.
- SC Admin
- Thereafter, he was elected four times to serve in the Georgia State Senate.
- Additionally, he served as an Administration Floor Leader, a Deputy Whip, and as Co-Chair of the Joint High School Athletics Overview Committee.
- During his service in the Senate, he served as the Chair of both the Insurance & Labor Committee and the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee.
- After law school, Bethel held the role of a law clerk for Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
- He previously served on the Georgia Court of Appeals, the state’s intermediate appellate court.
- Practiced law in Dalton with Minor Bell & Neal (now “The Minor Firm”) and spent over a decade in the flooring industry in executive and legal capacities working for J&J Industries.
- He then practiced law in Dalton with Minor Bell & Neal (now The Minor Firm) and spent over a decade in executive and legal roles in the flooring industry with J&J Industries.
- Justice Bethel has participated in the Jurist in Residence program at the University of Georgia School of Law, delivering lectures and mentoring students, including the Hines Lecture titled “Getting Underway: Thoughts on a Successful Life After Law School”
- He is admitted to practice in all Georgia state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and the U.S. Supreme Court
- Charlie is active in the community having served in various leadership positions with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, United Way, and the Dalton Rotary Club among others.
- Bethel was elected Alderman for the City of Dalton twice and subsequently served four terms in the Georgia State Senate
- representing District 54, which includes Murray and Whitfield counties and parts of Gordon and Pickens counties.
- During law school, he was active in the Moot Court program and earned regional honors as ‘Best Oral Advocate’
- Birth place: Athens and raised in Dalton, a place he and his family still call home.
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Sources
Identity source checked August 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked September 6, 2026.
Supreme Court of Georgia official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Supreme Court of Georgia official judicial roster ↗Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules ↗