SPRINGFIELD — If Steve Yekel is elected Effingham County’s State Court judge, he will cloak himself in more than a robe. His primary accessory will be experience, he said.

“I have been practicing (law) for 45 years,” said Yekel, who recently retired after serving as the chief conflict defender for Southeast Georgia (supervising attorney for the Ogeechee, Atlantic and Brunswick Circuit) since 2006. 

Yekel’s resumé includes a stint as an assistant district attorney in Savannah.

“I was the first assistant DA that ever prosecuted a a death penalty case ...” Yekel said.

Yekel, who attended Gordon Military College and Auburn University before graduating with superior grades from Atlanta Law School, served as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and an investigator the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office. He was also a member of the Cobb County Fugitive Squad and a statewide Juvenile Apprehension Unit.

“I was a lot of firsts,” Yekel said. “I was the first person in my family who ever graduated from college and, obviously, law school. I was the first agent in (the Georgia Department of Revenue) who ever graduated from the Police Academy.”

Yekel, an Effingham County resident since 1989, operated a private law practice from 1980-2005.

“During that time, I handled civil, criminal — primarily highly litigated cases,” he said. “I did a lot of divorces. I did a lot of child custody.

“I’ve tried over 500 cases, 50 murder trials — two death penalty cases.”

While in private practice, Yekel served as legal counsel for Savannah’s mayor. He also served as judge pro tem for Chatham County Recorder’s Court (1993-2005) and Chatham County Juvenile Court (2000-2005).

On a St. Patrick’s Day, he handled 387 cases in one day.

“I think we started at four o’clock (a.m.) and I think we ended at three o’clock that afternoon,” he said.

State Court in Effingham County has jurisdiction over misdemeanors whose penalties range from serving one day to 12 months in jail and fines of up to $1,000. 

“Unless you get to a high and aggravated misdemeanor, which is a little larger than that,” Yekel said.

State Court’s civil jurisdiction is basically the same as Superior Court.

“The only difference between a Superior Court  and a State Court judge is primarily divorce, equity, alimony, child custody — those type of things,” Yekel said. “Other than that, you are almost identical.”

Effingham County’s State Court judgeship because available in January because Gov. Brian Kemp named Ronald K. Thompson the Ogeechee Circuit’s fourth Superior Court judge. Before starting his new job, Thompson signed an order appointing four judges pro tem to keep State Court operational.

The judges pro tem are Grady Reddick, Donald Sheppard, Melissa Calhoun and Stephen Sims. Sims is Yekel’s opponent in the May 24 election.

“Ronnie told me that he would have appointed me pro tem judge but, at the time, I was still with the (State of Georgia) and I couldn’t serve (because of a heavy workload in 16 counties). That’s the reason, when I because chief conflict defender in 2006, why I gave up being Recorder’s Court judge.”

Yekel had to resign as chief conflict defender in order to run for a seat on the bench.

“I had no idea that was a requirement,” he said. “I’d never been told of any policy.”

Yekel, whose resignation/retirement became official April 1, said his goals for State Court are simple.

“One, I want to treat everybody with dignity and respect,” he said. “If’s the first time that most people have contact with a judge unless they go through a municipality. Most people understand that a municipality is a revenue-producing court and so, really, everybody needs to go to State Court.

“The (Effingham County Sheriff’s Office), the (Georgia State Patrol) — all of those — are going to come first up to State Court anyway to be handled.”

Yekel’s second objective is to attempt to collect more than $200,000 in State Court fines that resulted from suspended sentences.

“Everybody knew when they got a suspended sentence that it didn’t go away,” Yekel said. “... Will we collect all of it? Probably not. But we are going to make an effort.”

Yekel explained that he doesn’t plan to let unpaid fines pile up, adding that he will work with offenders to see that they are paid. He also is a proponent of equitable sentencing.

“I think you look at every case individually,” he said. “Since I’ve seen all aspects of this, I am the most qualified. I was a police officer, so I’ve arrested people. I was a prosecutor, so I’ve prosecuted people. I was a defense attorney, so I’ve defended people.

“I’ve also sat as a judge, so I’ve also judged people for a long period of time. Bringing all that experience into one helps me when I look at something. I can probably look at all sides of it and get an understand that maybe somebody else can’t because they don’t have that same realm to draw from.”

Yekel said Sims’ resumé is thin in comparison.

“He is a civil attorney,” Yekel said. “He doesn’t know anything as far as criminal law is concerned.”