Judge Ethelyn N. Simpson: Biography & Judicial Service | KnowJudges

# Ethelyn N. Simpson
Senior Judge · [Clarke County State Court](/kyj/court/ga/clarke-county-state-court)

## Judicial assignments
[Western Judicial Circuit](/kyj/court/ga/western-judicial-circuit)Senior Judge — circuit affiliation; court class unconfirmedThe official Senior Judges directory lists this circuit affiliation. A specific current assignment is not established. Senior judge available for assignment; this does not establish a current primary assignment.
Source checked October 15, 2026. [Roster source 1](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#home/directory-entries/58af0226ce9168f520c4d9f8/) · [Roster source 2](https://us-api.knack.com/v1/pages/scene_1/views/view_5/records?rows_per_page=1000&page=1&filters=%7B%22match%22%3A+%22and%22%2C+%22rules%22%3A+%5B%7B%22field%22%3A+%22field_19%22%2C+%22operator%22%3A+%22is%22%2C+%22value%22%3A+%22Senior+Judges%22%7D%5D%7D)
These published assignments do not certify a complete bench.

## Ethelyn N. Simpson at a glance
Current roleSenior Judge
Court[Clarke County State Court](/kyj/court/ga/clarke-county-state-court)
Current assignment[Clarke County State Court](/kyj/court/ga/clarke-county-state-court)
JurisdictionGeorgia · State
Judicial serviceActive

## Biography

### Professional career

- The Chief Judge of the Athens‐Clarke County State Court in Georgia, a position she has held since her appointment in December 2007 by then‐Governor Sonny Perdue
- Municipal Court Judge (1999–2005)

### Education


### Additional information

- Served in this role until her retirement in 2023
- While she retired from the bench in 2023, her professional background and judicial service remain documented in Georgia court records and bar association listings
- Joined the State Court bench in 2007 to fill a vacancy created by House Bill 215.
- Part‐time Associate Magistrate Judge (2006–2007)
- A native of Savannah, Georgia, Simpson’s legal career spans over two decades, combining prosecutorial, municipal, magistrate, and state court experience
- As Chief Judge, she presided over misdemeanor criminal cases, general civil cases, motions, jury and non‐jury trials, and probation violations
- She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Western Judicial Bar Association

## Sources

Identity source checked August 25, 2026.
01
### Georgia Courts Directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 25, 2026
[View Georgia Courts Directory ↗](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af0226ce9168f520c4d9f8/)

[Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [GA judicial conduct Rule 2.8 — courtroom order and courtesy](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-966932b4143407baf629735a) — State judicial courts only; published Code version February 1, 2024. Shared decorum baseline; does not establish complete court-specific practice. Shared baseline only, not a judge-specific preference or complete local rules inventory. Apply source exceptions, case-type limits, later amendments and case orders. [Official source](https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Code-of-Judicial-Conduct-2024_02_01.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.