Preston Harris Hines (September 6, 1943 – November 4, 2018) was the chief justice of the
Georgia Supreme Court in the United States for a span which began in 2017 and ended in 2018.
Early years and education
Preston Hines was born on September 6, 1943, in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, to James and Edith Hawkins Hines and graduated from
Henry W. Grady High School.
Hines received his bachelor's from
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
in 1965 and his J.D. degree from
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is the law school of Emory University and is part of the University's main campus in Druid Hills, Atlanta, Georgia. It was founded in 1916 and was the first law school in Georgia to be granted membership in the Am ...
in 1968.
Legal career
In 1969, after being admitted to the
state bar
A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent the attorneys practicing law in a particular U.S. state. Their functions differ from state to state, but often include administration of the state bar examination fo ...
, Hines moved to
Cobb County
Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, Georgia, Mar ...
where he worked for a
Marietta law firm then named Edwards, Bentley, Awtrey & Parker.
He practiced civil defense. The firm represented developers and lenders during a period when the Atlanta suburbs were undergoing rapid growth and economic expansion.
The firm also represented the county and several city governments. Hines particularly liked handling business litigation. Looking back at that time, Hines recalled "I wasn’t one of those who always wanted to be a judge".
Judicial career
In 1974, just five years out of law school, friends submitted Hines' name for an opening on the Cobb County
State Court. After making the short-list, Hines drove to the state capitol to be interviewed by then-Gov.
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
. Although Hines did not know Carter, or his family, they had friends and backgrounds in common. Hines' father and Carter were both from
Sumter County. And "the Hines family farmed near the town of Leslie, not too far from the Carter home and peanut farm in Plains".
Carter appointed Hines to the bench in May, 1974. It was a short-term appointment, since the post was coming up for election later that year. Hines had to run in the August
primary and then the November
general election. He won. Later, when Cobb County created a new position on the county Superior Court, Hines ran for that, and won.
On July 26, 1995 Hines was appointed to the
Georgia Supreme Court by Governor
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U. ...
. "I’m not going to say I knew the governor" said Hines "But if you’re going to be appointed, you better have somebody who knows something about the governor. I had friends who certainly knew the governor. He was a good guy."
Hines was subsequently re-elected by the voters of the state.
Hines was elected Chief Justice by his colleagues in September 2016. He announced his intent to retire on August 31, 2018. On April 17, 2018,
Harold Melton
Harold David Melton (born September 25, 1966) is a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Early years and education
A 1984 graduate of Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, Melton received a Bachelor of Science from A ...
was elected as Hines' successor, and he was sworn in by Hines on September 4, 2018.
Death and legacy
Hines died in a single-car accident on
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...
in Atlanta, on November 4, 2018 just over two months after retiring from the bench. His funeral was attended by hundreds, including many prominent members of the Georgia legal community, judiciary, state and federal officials, as well as both the Governor and Governor-elect. He was 75.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hines, Harris
1943 births
2018 deaths
Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state)
Emory University School of Law alumni
People from Atlanta
Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state)
20th-century American judges
21st-century American judges
Road incident deaths in Georgia (U.S. state)
People from Cobb County, Georgia