Jones' Federal Judgeship Confirmed By U.S. Senate

Staff in the Tenth District Western Judicial Circuit --which covers Oconee and Athens-Clarke Counties--  had been in anticipation of the U.S. Senate's vote on Superior Court Judge Steve Jones' pending nomination to federal court.  Monday, they received the news they had been waiting for. 

In a unanimous 90-0 vote ,  Jones became a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia's Atlanta Division.

"I really appreciate the people of Athens-Clarke and Oconee County," Jones told the Athens Banner-Herald. "You all have been really great to Steve Jones."

It is not known yet when he will be sworn in, Jones said to the ABH.

Jones was conducting status checks of pending cases in preparation of his move to federal court so his calender would be in the best possible shape for his successor, Tenth District Court Administrator T. J. BeMent said earlier in the year. Senior judges are expected to fill in in the interim, he said.

U.S. Northern District Court of Georgia Court Executive James Hatten told Oconee Patch in January that the federal court was functioning with only seven of the allotted 11 active judges and a new judge would help ensure an equitable distribution of cases.

President Obama had nominated Jones for the federal seat back in July.