Judge James G. Blanchard Jr.: Biography & Judicial Service | KnowJudges

# James G. Blanchard Jr.
Senior Judge · [Columbia County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/columbia-county-superior-court)

## Judicial assignments
[Columbia Judicial Circuit](/kyj/court/ga/columbia-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/58af0239ce9168f520c4dc94/) · [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.

## James G. Blanchard Jr. at a glance
Current roleSenior Judge
Court[Columbia County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/columbia-county-superior-court)
Current assignment[Columbia County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/columbia-county-superior-court)
JurisdictionGeorgia · State
Judicial serviceActive

## Biography

### Professional career

- In 2021, Columbia County became its own judicial circuit, and Blanchard was named Chief Judge
- James G. Blanchard, Jr. is a retired but senior judge of the Columbia County Superior Court in Georgia, appointed in 2002 and known for his work in accountability courts and his firm stance on public safety

### Education

- B.A. from Georgia Southern University and a J.D. from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law

### Additional information

- Blanchard announced in November 2023 that he would retire at the end of that year, applying for senior judge status.
- He received the Star Award from the Council of Accountability Court Judges of Georgia in 2022 The Augusta Press
- Blanchard joined the Columbia County Superior Court bench by then-Governor Roy Barnes on January 1, 2002.
- Also recognized as a Senior Judge, meaning he may be called back to the bench when needed
- Before joining the superior court, he presided over the Columbia County Juvenile Court and held the role of attorney for the Columbia County Board of Education, the City of Grovetown, and the Columbia County Commission.
- Blanchard was a strong advocate for accountability courts — including Drug Court, Behavioral Court, and Veterans Court — and personally oversaw graduation ceremonies for these programs.

## 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/58af0239ce9168f520c4dc94/)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Uniform Superior Court Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-815bee855bfd141a25d75d36) — Superior Court proceedings. Collected April 9, 2026 compilation; amendments effective November 5, 2026 are future on this collection date and are not applied. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://assets.georgiacourts.gov/4/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/14025702/UNIFORM-SUPERIOR-COURT-RULES-2026_04_09.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.