Judges

Juvenile Court Judges hear all matters in the Juvenile Courts of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. In addition to Muscogee County, the Judicial Circuit includes Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Talbot, and Taylor Counties.

Judge Warner Kennon

Located in Juvenile Court
Image of Judge Warner

ADMISSIONS & CONTINUING EDUCATION

•    Admitted to Georgia Bar-1979
•    Admitted to U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia - 1980
•    Admitted to Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia- 1981
•    Admitted to Supreme Court of the State of Georgia- 1981
•    Attended over 750 hours of Continuing Judicial Education since 1994

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Judicial Roles

•    Presiding Judge, Juvenile Courts, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit-201 I-Present
•    Judge, Juvenile Courts, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit-2002-2011
•    Judge, Juvenile Court of Columbus, Muscogee County-1994-2002

Legal Practice 

•    County Guardian & County Administrator, Muscogee County-1989-201 I
•    Child Advocate Attorney, Juvenile Court of Columbus, Muscogee County-1989-1994
•    Attorney, Warner L. Kennon, P.C.-1981-201 I
•    Law Clerk, Honorable Floyd E. Propst-1979-1980
•    Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association-1987-2011

LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

•    Trustee, Institute for Continuing Judicial Education-2025-Present
•    Member, Standing Committee on Court Reporting Matters - 2024- Present
•    Member, The Supreme Court of Georgia's Committee on Justice for Children-2023-Present
•    President, Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges-2023-2024
•    Board, Judicial Council of Georgia -2023-2024
•    Member, Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on American Rescue Plan Act - 2021- Present
•    Executive Committee Member, GCJCJ-2019-2025
•    Chair, Education & Certification Committee, GCJCJ-1998-2003; 2017-2023
•    Treasurer, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges-2016-2017
•    Sponsoring Judge, First NCJFCJ National Military Summit for Children and Families, Fort Benning, resulting in MOA now used across the country-2015
•    Board of Directors, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges-2013-2019
•    Founding Chair/ Vice-Chair Committee for Military Children and Families, NCJFCJ-2011- Present
•    Board Member, Judicial Council of Georgia Accountability Court Committee-2009-2013
•    President, Columbus Bar Association-2004-2005
•    Gang Resistance Education and Training-2003
•    Executive Committee, Columbus Bar Association-2000-2008
•    President, Chattahoochee Bar Association-1994-1995

COMMUNITY & CIVIC INVOLVEMENT 

•    Advisory Board Member, Teen Challenge-2010-2018
•    Deacon/ Elder, Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church - 1999 - Present
•    Board Member, Boys & Girls Club ofColumbus-1996-2001
•    Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Columbus Alumni-1995
•    President, Mental Health Association of Columbus, Georgia-1990-1992

HONORS 

•    Kentucky Colonel for Service to Military Families-2019
•    Chattahoochee Valley Accountability Courts Symposium Award-2012
•    Second Century Society, Boy Scouts of America-2011
•    Continuing Service Award, Juvenile Drug Court of Columbus, Georgia-2000-2011
•    Mental Health Association of Columbus, President's Award-1993

 

Judge Andrew Dodgen

Located in Juvenile Court
Image of Judge Andrew

JUDGE ANDREW DODGEN, born in LaGrange, Georgia in on April 8, 1961; graduated from LaGrange College in 1983 and Walter F. George School of Law/Mercer University in 1986; admitted to the State Bar of Georgia and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia since 1986.

Upon admission to the Bar, he joined The Law Offices of William C. Moore in Columbus, Georgia and became a partner in 1990, at which time the firm became Moore & Dodgen. Upon the retirement of Mr. Moore on July 1, 2011, he formed The Law Offices of Andrew C. Dodgen and continues the general practice of law in Columbus, Georgia in addition to his service on the Bench.

He served as a part time public defender for the Superior Court of Muscogee County from 1989 to 1992; was public defender for the Juvenile Court of Muscogee County from 1998 to 2004; was an original member of the Muscogee Juvenile Drug Court planning team and served as counsel for participants from 2000 until his appointment to the Bench in 2011; served as Special Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Georgia in Mental Health proceedings from 1993 to 2011; serves as County Attorney for the Unified Government of Cusseta-Chattahoochee County.

Judge Joey M. Loudermilk

Located in Juvenile Court
Image of Judge Joey

JUDGE JOEY M. LOUDERMILK currently serves as judge of the Juvenile Court of Georgia's Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, where his primary responsibility is to preside over the five rural counties of the Circuit (Harris, Talbot, Taylor, Marion, and Chattahoochee Counties). Judge Loudermilk retired from Aflac Incorporated in 2014 after a 31-year career where he served as General Counsel, Executive Vice President, and Corporate Secretary. He was educated in the public schools of Muscogee County, graduating from Hardaway High School in 1971.

He received a B.S. degree with honors from Georgia State University in 1975 and his J.D. degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1978. He worked in private law practice in Columbus before joining Aflac in 1983 as head of the Company's newly formed Legal Department. He serves on the board of Goodwill Industries, and the board of directors of the Piedmont Columbus Regional Healthcare Systems. He is a member and former president of the Rotary Club of Columbus. Judge Loudermilk has authored 2 books. His first book, My Friend Rob and Me is an autobiographical account of growing up in Columbus in the 1960's and the relationship with his best friend, Rob Peacock, who died suddenly in 1969. His short story, The Lawyer Riddle won the 1998 fiction-writing contest sponsored by the Georgia Bar Journal. He wrote a weekly column for the Harris County Journal for 13 years. He served on the Harris County Board of Commissioners from July 2008 (when he won a special election against four other candidates) until the end of 2016.

He served as vice chairman of the board. In 2010 Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed him to the Georgia Board of Education where he served until 2011. In 2013 he was selected to Ethisphere Magazine's list of "Attorneys Who Matter" in leading their companies "to the top of the ethics and compliance world." In March 2015, Judge Loudermilk was presented the Distinguished Service Scroll award, which is the highest honor given by the University of Georgia Law School Association. This award recognizes outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school.

In November 2015 he was presented the Hardaway High School Distinguished Alumni Award at the school's 50th anniversary celebration. He also owns Turntime Farms in Ellerslie, Georgia, which raises beef cattle, poultry, turkeys, eggs, pork, goats, and blueberries. Last month (Feb. 2019) he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame of the Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley. Judge Loudermilk and his wife of 45 years, the former Ramona Lewis, are active members of Bethesda Baptist Church in Ellerslie, Georgia where they teach a Sunday School class. Joey and Ramona have 6 children and ten grandchildren.