Judge Kathy Stephens Palmer: Biography & Judicial Service | KnowJudges

# Kathy Stephens Palmer
Senior Judge · [Candler County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/candler-county-superior-court)

## Judicial assignments
[Middle Judicial Circuit](/kyj/court/ga/middle-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/5f4e4918bc817700176ba728/) · [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.

## Kathy Stephens Palmer at a glance
Current roleSenior Judge
Court[Candler County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/candler-county-superior-court)
Current assignment[Candler County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/candler-county-superior-court)
JurisdictionGeorgia · State
Judicial serviceActive

## Biography

### Professional career

- Appointed Chief Judge of the Middle Judicial Circuit in 2007 and held that role until her retirement in April 2020

### Education


### Additional information

- After retiring in 2020, Palmer attempted to run for the Georgia State Senate (District 4) but lost in the Republican primary.
- In August 2020, Governor Brian Kemp appointed her Senior Judge, allowing her to serve on an as‐needed basis in Superior Courts across Georgia, presiding over both criminal and civil cases
- Joined the Georgia Superior Court bench in 2001 and served in the Middle Judicial Circuit, which covers Candler, Emanuel, Jefferson, Toombs, and Washington counties.
- Retired and senior judge in Georgia’s Superior Court system, best known for her long tenure as Chief Judge of the Middle Judicial Circuit and her later role as a senior judge on an as‐needed basis

## 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/5f4e4918bc817700176ba728/)

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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.