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title: "Charles J. Bethel | KnowJudges"
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# Charles J. Bethel

Supreme Court of Georgia · Justice

## Profile

- Court: Supreme Court of Georgia
- State: Georgia
- Role: Justice
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-08-25

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## 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.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### electronic devices and recording

Scope: statewide

Georgia's class-specific Uniform Court Rules govern electronic devices and recording in state trial courts. Before using recording, photography, livestreaming, or similar courtroom technology, confirm the governing rule and the assigned court's procedure.

Evidence excerpt: Uniform Superior, Juvenile, Magistrate, Municipal and Probate Court Rules

[Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/amendments-to-rules)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/biographies/justice-charles-j-bethel/)
- [Official roster](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58fa2156b60d500d52e517b5/ | https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/biographies/)
- [Supreme Court of Georgia official judicial roster](https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/biographies/)
- [Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/amendments-to-rules)
- [GA SUPREME BIOS](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58fa2156b60d500d52e517b5/ | https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/biographies/)
- [Official biography source for Charles J. Bethel](https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/biographies/justice-charles-j-bethel/)

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