Judge Ralph Van Pelt Jr.: Biography & Judicial Service | KnowJudges

# Ralph Van Pelt Jr.
Senior Judge · [Catoosa County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/catoosa-county-superior-court)

## Judicial assignments
[Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit](/kyj/court/ga/lookout-mountain-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/697a4f14e05fbcfa4650ccd1/) · [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.

## Ralph Van Pelt Jr. at a glance
Current roleSenior Judge
Court[Catoosa County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/catoosa-county-superior-court)
Current assignment[Catoosa County Superior Court](/kyj/court/ga/catoosa-county-superior-court)
JurisdictionGeorgia · State
Judicial serviceActive

## Biography

### Professional career

- In February 2022, he submitted his resignation to Governor Brian Kemp, stating he would remain in office until the end of the year and plan to enter private practice afterward
- Ralph Lee Van Pelt, Jr. held the role of a Superior Court judge for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit in Georgia from 1996 until his resignation in December 2022
- Before becoming a judge, Van Pelt was District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit from 1989 to 1996.

### Education



### Additional information

- His resignation in 2022 sparked debate over whether the seat should have been filled by appointment or election, with legal questions raised under Georgia law
- 26 years, including re-elections in 2010 and 2014.
- Joined the bench in 1996 by then-Governor Zell B. Miller, filling a vacancy after the retirement of Judge Joe Tucker.
- Began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in the same office after law school
- Served in public office for 33 years, including as district attorney and judge
- Van Pelt presided over cases in Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, and Walker counties.

## 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/697a4f14e05fbcfa4650ccd1/)

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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.