ATLANTA — Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney has stepped down as Presiding Officer of the Judicial Qualifications Commission Hearing Panel after more than seven years of service.

The transition marks a new chapter for the commission as the Supreme Court has named Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Brian Rickman as the new Hearing Panel Presiding Officer.

Rickman’s four-year term will begin on Aug. 6, 2024.

“Serving on the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s Hearing Panel has been a highlight of my tenure as a judge,” Judge McBurney said. “I deeply appreciate the opportunity the Supreme Court afforded me. I also appreciate the need to bring in new leadership so that the Hearing Panel can evolve as an institution. Judge Rickman is an excellent selection to guide the Hearing Panel and to improve on what we have built since its inception.”

McBurney took the role right after the restructuring of the JQC in 2016.

Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs praised McBurney’s leadership.

“Judge McBurney has exemplified exceptional leadership by developing the Hearing Panel’s practices and operations based on an entirely new JQC model created in 2016. Under his leadership, the Hearing Panel succeeded in implementing a new adjudication system for judicial discipline matters where every matter before the panel presented uncharted and new challenges,” Boggs said.

Rickman, appointed to the Court of Appeals bench in January 2016, also served as chief judge from 2021-23.

His background includes experience as a trial court judge by designation on the Superior Court of the Mountain Judicial Circuit and as District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, where he prosecuted JQC matters.

“We are thankful for Judge Rickman’s commitment to take on this role, and we are confident that his leadership will continue the good work of the Panel,” Boggs said.