Judges appointed in Northern, Waycross and Coweta circuits

ATLANTA (AP) Gov. Nathan Deal has announced the appointments of superior court judges in the Northern, Waycross and Coweta judicial circuits. <br /> <br /> Elberton lawyer Chris Phelps, who's been in private practice since 1976, will take the bench in the Northern Judicial Circuit. J. Kelly Brooks, a partner at Adams and Brooks, Attorneys at Law, will fill the empty seat in the Waycross Judicial Circuit. And W. Travis Sakrison will leave his post as executive director of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council, to join the bench in the Coweta Judicial Circuit. <br /> <br /> The vacancies in the Coweta and Waycross circuits were created by the Legislature last year, and the Northern Judicial Circuit vacancy was created by the resignation of Judge John H. Bailey Jr. The appointments take effect upon swearing in.