Court's 20th Judge Takes Office

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shawn Ellen LaGrua has taken the oath of office and is now the Court's 20th elected judge.

Judge LaGrua was appointed to the new office by Governor Sonny Perdue. She was the Inspector General of the Georgia Secretary of State's Office. Previously, she had been Solicitor General of DeKalb County and an assistant district attorney in DeKalb and Fulton counties, for the Tallapoosa Circuit and the Prosecuting Attorney's Council.

Judge LaGrua graduated from the University of Georgia in 1984 and received her juris doctorate in law from the Georgia State University College of Law in 1987.

Judge LaGrua is a Master of the Logan E. Bleckley Inn of Court, an Advanced Evidence professor at Georgia State University College of Law, and a founding member and chair of the Georgia Association of Woman Lawyers, Judicial Application Review Committee.

Her community activities include serving on the boards of directors of The Georgia Center for Children, The Daisy Hill Foundation, Ahimsa House, Gold Shield Foundation, and Project Destiny Academy of Excellence.

Judge LaGrua will hear a mixed docket of criminal and civil cases. Her chambers telephone number is 404-612-8460.

Fulton Superior Court Judge Westmoreland Moves to Business Court

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melvin K. Westmoreland has moved from the Fulton Justice Tower to the historic Lewis Slaton Fulton County Courthouse.

Westmoreland, a Superior Court Judge in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit since 1988, said he moved to Courtroom 9G in the 136 Pryor St. Courthouse for two reasons.

He recently became the only elected Superior Court Judge serving in the Fulton Business Court and now exclusively hears civil cases. Judge Westmoreland’s new chambers (Room C927) put him on the same floor with Business Court Senior Judges Alice Bonner and Elizabeth Long and Business Court manager Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez.

The move also makes room in the Fulton Justice Tower for newly appointed Superior Court Judge Shawn LaGrua. When LaGrua is sworn in as the circuit's 20th judge she may hear a mixed docket of criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases are restricted to the Tower which has secure holding cells and elevators used to transfer prisoners to and from the Fulton County Jail.

"With only civil cases I don't need holding cells and it helps to be close to the other business court operations," Judge Westmoreland said.

Judge Westmoreland's chambers telephone is 404-612-2570.

Former DeKalb Solicitor General named to new Fulton Superior Court Judgeship

Former DeKalb County Solicitor General Shawn Ellen LaGrua has been named a judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County.

LaGrua was appointed to the new 20th judgeship of the Fulton Superior Court by Governor Sonny Purdue. This seat on the Superior Court was approved by the Georgia General Assembly in 2008.

LaGrua has served as the Inspector-General for the Georgia Secretary of State's Office since January 2007.

Previously, she was appointed by Perdue as DeKalb County Solicitor General in 2004 and named Georgia’s Solicitor General of the Year in 2006.

LaGrua also has extensive experience as an Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb and Fulton Counties. While in Fulton County’s DA’s Office, she worked as a Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1984 and her Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University School of Law in 1987 where she is currently a faculty member teaching Litigation.

LaGrua is expected to be sworn in as judge by Perdue in January. She will join the bench of Georgia's largest trial court with more than 30,000 cases filed annually The Fulton Superior Court is also among the leading courts nationally for innovative programs increasing access to justice for all.