---
title: "Wayne M. Purdom | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/wayne-m-purdom-ga-state-58af022cce9168f520c4daa4"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-08-25"
---

# Wayne M. Purdom

DeKalb County State Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: DeKalb County State Court
- State: Georgia
- Role: Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-08-25

## Summary

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

## 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://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af022cce9168f520c4daa4/)
- [Official roster](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af022cce9168f520c4daa4/)
- [Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/amendments-to-rules)
- [Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af022cce9168f520c4daa4/)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Before his appointment, he was a DeKalb County Magistrate since 1983, later becoming chief judge of the magistrate court.
- Former judge of the DeKalb County State Court in Georgia, appointed by former Governor Zell B. Miller in 1998 and elected in 2020

### Education



### Additional information

- He left his judicial office on January 1, 2025 after his term ended
- In 2009, he received the Ogden Doremus Award from the Council of State Court Judges
- He also worked in private legal practice in Decatur, Georgia, from 1977 to 1984
- He is admitted to the Georgia Bar (1977) and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, Decatur–DeKalb Bar Association, and Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
- DeKalb County State Court bench for over two decades, presiding over a wide range of cases, including torts, personal injury, and automobile accident matters.
- Purdom was recognized for his legal scholarship, annually updating key Georgia judicial resources such as the Georgia Civil Discovery, Georgia Magistrate Court Handbook, Magistrate Court Benchbook, and State Court Benchbook.
- He served on the Benchbook Committee and Strategic Planning Committee for the Council of State Court Judges, and was a key figure in developing Georgia’s standards for foreign language interpreters.