199 fUlton CoUnty SUperior CoUrt // jUDICIAL pROfILEs «
judge Craig L. schwall
phone: 404-612-8667
fax: 404-224-0551
Email: craig.schwall@fultoncountyga.gov
College: Auburn University, 1985
Law school: Emory University, 1988
Born: July 19, 1963, Atlanta
previous Experience: Private practice, 8 years; Fulton County
Magistrate Court judge, 7 years;
became Fulton County State Court
judge in September 2003. On May
31, 2005, received appointment
from Gov. Sonny Perdue to become
Fulton Superior Court Judge.
Deputy Chief judge
Wendy L. shoob
phone: 404-612-2812
fax: 404-893-6606
Email: wendy.shoob@fultoncountyga.gov
College: University of Virginia, 1974
Law school: Mercer University, 1977
Born: Feb. 14, 1954
previous Experience: Trial attorney, U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, 1978-79;
assistant district attorney, Fulton
County, 1979-87; associate and
partner, Warner, Mayoue & Bates,
1987-92; Fulton County State Court
judge, 1992-96; current position,
1996-present
policies, procedures and
Recommendations:
1. Division designation: K.
2. Pretrial conferences and pretrial
orders: Yes.
3. Require dispute resolution: Yes, all cases. However, the court
will consider well-founded objections to pursuing ADR.
4. Telephone conferencing: Yes.
5. Special settings: The court will accommodate cases that have
out-of-town witnesses and/or parties.
6. Attaching supporting authorities: No.
7. Letter briefs: On a case-by-case basis.
8. Filings on computer disk: Orders only.
9. Voir dire: The court asks the entire panel the statutory
questions and explains the purposes and process of voir dire.
Attorneys then ask general questions of the panel (the panel
is seated in the gallery during general questioning). Attorneys
may follow up with individual questioning (the panel is moved
in groups of 12 to the jury box for individual questioning). The
court permits only those questions required by law. The court
does not permit wide-ranging voir dire.
18. What constitutes good cause for:
a) Granting continuances: I know the pressures of trial practice
and try to be reasonable when attorneys need additional time.
b) Extending discovery: Same as above.
19. Order preparation guidelines: I know the pressures of trial
practice and try to be reasonable when attorneys need additional time.
20. Suggestions/admonitions for counsel: Be on time, professional, and courteous to everyone involved in the process.
21. Irritating lawyer conduct: Being unprepared, late and discourteous to opposing counsel and witnesses.
22. Other recommendations: Present your facts, inform the
court of the law on the issues involved and tell the court what
you would like to have done.
judge Constance C. Russell
phone: 404-612-2803
fax: 404-332-0335
Email: constance.russell@
fultoncounty.org
College: Harvard University
Law school: University of Virginia
School of Law
Born: Dec. 1, 1957
previous Experience: Atlanta
Public Schools; Fulton County
District Attorney’s Office; Kilpatrick
& Cody; Goodman, McGuffey, Aust & Lindsey; current position,
1996- present
policies, procedures and Recommendations:
1. Division designation: No.
2. Pretrial conferences and pretrial orders: Yes.
3. Require dispute resolution: No.
4. Telephone conferencing: If appropriate.
5. Special settings: Rarely.
6. Attaching supporting authorities: If it is recent authority or
from another jurisdiction and not readily available in Georgia
digests or codes.
7. Letter briefs: If appropriate.
8. Filings on computer disk: If they are voluminous, yes.
9. Voir dire:
10. Court hours/breaks: It varies.
11. Available audio-visual equipment:
12. Using audio-visual equipment:
13. Trial exhibits: Have them premarked.
14. Courtroom decorum:
15. Jury charges: No.
16. Pattern charges: No.
17. Resolving pretrial issues prior to striking jury
a) Criminal: It varies depending on the complexity of the motion and time constraints.
b) Civil: It varies depending on the complexity of the motion
and time constraints.
